US 8,134,622 B2Granted

Imaging device

AssigneeNikon Corporation

InventorTakakazu Kobayashi

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An imaging device has pixels being disposed two-dimensionally, in matrix, a plurality of vertical signal lines each coupled to a plurality of the pixels in a column direction, a column amplifier amplifying an optical signal and a reset signal, and a holding part holding each of the optical signal and the reset signal. The imaging device is provided with a first clip driving circuit which is disposed between the vertical signal lines and the column amplifier and clips a signal out of a predetermined voltage, a first clip voltage generation circuit which gives a clip voltage to the first clip driving circuit, a second clip driving circuit which is disposed between the column amplifier and the holding part and clips a signal out of a predetermined voltage, and a second clip voltage generation circuit which gives a clip voltage to the second clip driving circuit.

Claims4

Dependent claims

An imaging device having:

pixels being disposed two-dimensionally, in matrix, and having a photoelectric conversion part converting a light into an electric signal;
a plurality of vertical signal lines each coupled to a plurality of the pixels in a column direction and receiving an optical signal containing optical information and a reset signal containing a noise component from the pixels;
a column amplifier amplifying the optical signal and the reset signal read to each of the vertical signal lines;
and
a holding part holding each of the optical signal and the reset signal amplified in the column amplifier, the imaging device comprising:
a first clip driving circuit being disposed between each of the vertical signal lines and the column amplifier and clips a signal out of a predetermined voltage;
a first clip voltage generation circuit giving a clip voltage to the first clip driving circuit;
a second clip driving circuit being disposed between the column amplifier and the holding part and clips a signal out of a predetermined voltage;
and
a second clip voltage generation circuit giving a clip voltage to the second clip driving circuit.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/753,513Filed 2 Apr 2010 · continuation
Priority: JP 2007-2635769 Oct 2007
Published: US 2010/0188539 A129 Jul 2010
Granted: 13 Mar 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H04N 25/00
Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [ssis]
H04N 25/627
Detection or reduction of noise due to excess charges produced by the exposure, e.g. smear, blooming, ghost image, crosstalk or leakage between…
H04N 25/77
Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors: pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components
H04N 25/778
Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components: comprising amplifiers shared between a…