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AssigneeFujitsu Semiconductor Limited
InventorsToshitaka Mizuguchi, Katsuyoshi Yamamoto, Jun Funakoshi, Tsuyoshi Higuchi
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A solid-state image pickup device and image pickup method eliminate a dark-current component by adjusting the black level appropriately even if the dark-current component varies among horizontal lines. A pixel array includes light-receiving pixel elements and light-blocking pixel elements disposed such that horizontal lines include the light-blocking pixel elements individually. A readout circuit block reads pixel signals of each of the horizontal lines from the pixel array, inputs the pixel signals to ADC circuits (column ADC circuit block), and outputs the pixel signals of the light-blocking pixel elements. A ramp signal generation circuit obtains the pixel signals of the light-blocking pixel elements output from the readout circuit block, generates a ramp signal by using a reference level of AD conversion adjusted for each of the horizontal lines in accordance with the obtained pixel signals of the light-blocking pixel elements, and inputs the ramp signal to the ADC circuits.
A solid-state image pickup device comprising:
An image pickup method for a solid-state image pickup device comprising a readout circuit block for reading pixel signals from a pixel array and inputting the pixel signals to analog-to-digital converters, the image pickup method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.