Solid image pickup device, image pickup system and method of driving solid image pickup device
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorToru Koizumi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The solid image pickup device of the present invention comprises a photoelectric conversion part, a charge-voltage conversion part for converting electric charges from the photoelectric conversion part to voltage signals, a signal amplifier for amplifying the voltage signals generated in the charge-voltage conversion part, charge transfer means for transferring photo-electric charges from the photoelectric conversion part to the charge-voltage conversion part, and means for applying a certain voltage to a charge-voltage conversion part, wherein at least two readout operations for reading out the photo-electric charges accumulated during a period of accumulating photo-electric charges in the photoelectric conversion part via a signal amplifier.
Claims7
A method of driving a solid image pickup device comprising a photoelectric conversion unit, a charge-voltage conversion unit for converting electric charges from the photoelectric conversion unit into voltage signals, a signal amplification means for amplifying the voltage signals generated in the charge-voltage conversion unit, a charge transfer means for transferring photoelectric charges from the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge-voltage conversion unit, and a selecting means for reading out a signal amplified by the signal amplification means to a signal line, said method comprising:
- a first transferring step of transferring a portion of the electric charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge-voltage conversion unit while a remaining portion of the electric charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit is left in the photoelectric conversion unit;
- a first selecting step of reading out a first signal accumulated in one unit of an accumulation period to a signal line by the selecting means;
- a reset step of resetting the charge-voltage conversion unit after the first signal is read out;
- a second transferring step of transferring the remaining portion of the electric charges left in the photoelectric conversion unit during said first transferring step to the charge-voltage conversion unit;
- a second selecting step of reading out a second signal accumulated in one unit of the accumulation period to the signal line by the selecting means, wherein the second signal is a signal remaining in said first transferring step;
- and
- an adding step of adding the first signal and the second signal read out to the signal line.
A solid image pickup device comprising:
- a photoelectric conversion unit;
- a charge-voltage conversion unit for converting electric charges from the photoelectric conversion unit into voltage signals;
- a signal amplification means for amplifying the voltage signals generated in the charge-voltage conversion unit;
- a charge transfer means for transferring photoelectric charges from the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge-voltage conversion unit;
- a selection means for reading out a signal amplified by said signal amplification means to a signal line;
- a first transferring means for transferring a portion of the electric charges accumulated in said photoelectric conversion unit to said charge-voltage conversion unit while a remaining portion of the electric charges accumulated in said photoelectric conversion unit is left in said photoelectric conversion unit;
- a first selecting means for reading out a first signal accumulated in one unit of an accumulation period to a signal line by said selecting means;
- a reset means for resetting the charge-voltage conversion unit after the first signal is read out;
- a second transferring means for transferring the remaining portion of the electric charges left in the photoelectric conversion unit by said first transferring means to said charge-voltage conversion unit;
- a second selecting means for reading out a second signal accumulated in one unit of the accumulation period to the signal line by said selecting means, wherein the second signal is a signal remaining after the first transferring means transfers;
- and
- an adding means for adding the first signal and the second signal read out to the signal line.
An image pickup system comprising:
- a solid image pickup device according to 4;
- an optical system for focusing a ray of light to said solid image pickup device;
- and
- a signal processing circuit for processing output signals from said solid image pickup device.
An image pickup system comprising:
- a solid image pickup device according to 4;
- an optical system for focusing a ray of light to said solid image pickup device;
- a mechanical shutter for determining an exposure time of said solid image pickup device;
- and
- a signal processing circuit for processing output signals from said solid image pickup device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.