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US 8,803,054 B2Granted
Apparatus, focus detection apparatus, and image pickup system
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKazuhiro Saito, Tomohisa Kinugasa
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Abstract
In a photoelectric conversion apparatus, an error can occur due to a voltage drop through a MOS transistor. In the photoelectric conversion apparatus, to reduce the error, a circuit block disposed between a unit pixel and an output line includes a differential amplifier circuit and a switch that is disposed in a feedback path of the differential amplifier circuit.
Claims17
An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of unit pixels each configured to output a signal generated by photoelectric conversion;
- an output line provided for the plurality of unit pixels and configured to transmit signals output from the unit pixels;
- a plurality of circuit blocks each provided for one of the unit pixels and connected between the one of the unit pixels and the output line;
- and
- a first constant current source configured to supply a current to the output line, wherein
- each of the circuit blocks includes a differential amplifier circuit and a first switch,
- the differential amplifier circuit includes a transistor configured to form a source follower with the first constant current source,
- the differential amplifier circuit has a non-inverting input terminal to which the signal output from a corresponding unit pixel is applied,
- a first terminal of the first switch is connected to a source of the transistor, and
- a second terminal of the first switch is directly connected to the output line, and connected to an inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.