Solid-state imaging element and camera system
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorHiroki Ui
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging element including a pixel unit configured to include a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and a pixel signal readout unit configured to include an analog-digital conversion unit that carries out analog-digital conversion of a pixel signal read out from the pixel unit. Each one of the pixels in the pixel unit includes a plurality of divided pixels arising from division into regions different from each other in optical sensitivity or a charge accumulation amount. The pixel signal readout unit reads out divided-pixel signals of the divided pixels in the pixel. The analog-digital conversion unit carries out analog-digital conversion of the divided-pixel signals that are read out and adds the divided-pixel signals to each other to obtain a pixel signal of one pixel.
Claims19
A solid-state imaging element comprising:
- a pixel unit including photoelectric conversion elements, said photoelectric conversion elements comprising a first divided pixel cell and a second divided pixel cell,
- wherein said first divided pixel cell has a first sensitivity or accumulation time, said second divided pixel cell having a second sensitivity or accumulation time,
- wherein said first divided pixel cell is configured to convert light into a first signal charge, a first bit accuracy being used to convert said first signal charge into a first digital signal,
- wherein said second divided pixel cell is configured to convert said light into a second signal charge, a second bit accuracy being used to convert said second signal charge into a second digital signal, wherein said first bit accuracy differs from said second bit accuracy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.