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US 7,679,664 B2Granted
Image pickup device
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorMasanori Kasai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Vertical signal lines are connected to each pixel column in an image pickup unit having pixels arranged in arrays, and the vertical signal lines are connected to a voltage supply circuit for supplying a voltage between a power source voltage and a reference voltage.
Claims12
An image pickup device, comprising:
- an image pickup unit having pixels arranged in arrays having pixel columns and pixel rows, the pixels being units configured for converting incident light into electrical signals;
- a plurality of output signal lines associated with at least one pixel column;
- a power source voltage line configured to supply a power source voltage;
- a voltage supply circuit coupled between said output signal lines and said power source voltage line, said voltage supply circuit configured to supply a voltage between the power source voltage and a reference voltage, said voltage supply circuit comprising a voltage generator coupled between said power source voltage line and at least one of said output signal lines and a voltage supply switch coupled between said voltage generator and said at least one output signal line;
- a voltage supply control line operatively coupled to said voltage supply switch;
- and
- a short-circuiting device coupled between said at least one output signal line and another output signal line, said short-circuiting device first effecting a connection between said output signal lines coupled thereto while said voltage supply circuit supplies said voltage between the cower source voltage and the reference voltage to said output signal lines and then effecting a disconnection between said output signal lines coupled thereto at least while a reset voltage for resetting said pixels and a pixel signal are output.
4 more elements
An image pickup device, comprising:
- an image pickup unit having pixels arranged in an array with pixel columns and pixel rows;
- a plurality of output signal lines associated with one of said pixel columns in said image pickup unit;
- a voltage supply circuit configured to supply a predetermined voltage equal to a voltage of said output signal lines in a state that a reset voltage is output, and thereafter outputting to said output signal lines said reset voltage to regulate an initial state of reading a pixel signal to said output signal lines;
- and
- a short-circuiting device coupled between said at least one output signal line and another output signal line, said short-circuiting device first effecting a connection between said output signal lines coupled thereto while said voltage supply circuit supplies said predetermined voltage to said output signal lines and then effecting a disconnection between said output signal lines coupled thereto at least while a reset voltage for resetting said pixels and a pixel signal are output.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.