US 9,288,411 B2Granted

Image sensor and control method for image sensor

AssigneeSony Corporation

InventorsKoichi Okamoto, Rei Yoshikawa, Hiroaki Ebihara

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Abstract

The present technology relates to an image sensor and a control method for an image sensor which are capable of measuring illuminance of each color in an image sensor. Each of a plurality of pixel units includes a pixel and a reset transistor, and the pixel includes a photoelectric converting unit that performs photoelectric conversion on light of a certain color incident through a color filter and a transfer transistor that transfers charges obtained by the photoelectric conversion of the photoelectric converting unit and is controllable for each color. According to control of the transfer transistor, the charges are read from the photoelectric converting unit through the transfer transistor and the reset transistor, and a voltage corresponding to the charges is supplied to an AD converting unit connected to the reset transistor. The present technology can be applied to, for example, an image sensor that photographs an image.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An image sensor, comprising:

a plurality of pixel units, respective ones of which include a pixel and a reset transistor,
wherein the respective pixel includes a photoelectric converting unit configured to perform photoelectric conversion on light of a certain color incident through a color filter and a transfer transistor configured to transfer charges obtained by the photoelectric conversion of the photoelectric converting unit, wherein the respective pixel is controllable for each color,
the respective reset transistor is connected to an analog to digital (AD) converting unit configured to perform AD conversion, the respective reset transistor configured to reset the charges,
according to control of the transfer transistor, the charges are read from the photoelectric converting unit through the transfer transistor and the reset transistor, and a voltage corresponding to the charges is supplied to the AD converting unit connected to the respective reset transistor,
the AD converting unit is connected to a power line that connects a drain of the respective reset transistor with a power source, and
the image sensor further comprises a conversion control unit configured to cause the power line to enter a floating state, to cause the charges to flow to the power line in the floating state through the respective reset transistor, converts the charges to the voltage, and to supply the voltage to the AD converting unit connected to the power line.

3 more elements

A control method for an image sensor including a plurality of pixel units respective ones of which include a pixel and a reset transistor, wherein the respective pixel includes a photoelectric converting unit configured to perform photoelectric conversion on light of a certain color incident through a color filter and a transfer transistor configured to transfer charges obtained by the photoelectric conversion of the photoelectric converting unit, wherein the respective pixel is controllable for each color, the respective reset transistor is connected to an analog to digital (AD) converting unit configured to perform AD conversion, and to reset the charges, and the AD converting unit is connected to a power line that connects a drain of the respective reset transistor with a power source, the control method comprising:

reading the charges from the photoelectric converting unit through the transfer transistor and the reset transistor and supplying a voltage corresponding to the charges to the AD converting unit connected to the reset transistor, according to control of the transfer transistor;
and
by a conversion control unit, causing the power line to enter a floating state, causing the charges to flow to the power line in the floating state through the respective, converting the charges to the voltage, and supplying the voltage to the AD converting unit connected to the power line.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform control operations for an image sensor including a plurality of pixel units respective ones of which include a pixel and a reset transistor, wherein the respective pixel includes a photoelectric converting unit configured to perform photoelectric conversion on light of a certain color incident through a color filter and a transfer transistor configured to transfer charges obtained by the photoelectric conversion of the photoelectric converting unit, wherein the respective pixel is controllable for each color, the respective reset transistor is connected to an analog to digital (AD) converting unit configured to perform AD conversion, and to reset the charges, and the AD converting unit is connected to a power line that connects a drain of the respective reset transistor with a power source, the operations comprising:

reading the charges from the photoelectric converting unit through the transfer transistor and the reset transistor and supplying a voltage corresponding to the charges to the AD converting unit connected to the reset transistor, according to control of the transfer transistor;
and
by a conversion control unit, causing the power line to enter a floating state, causing the charges to flow to the power line in the floating state through the respective, converting the charges to the voltage, and supplying the voltage to the AD converting unit connected to the power line.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/395,386Filed 23 Apr 2013
Priority: JP 2012-1045621 May 2012
Published: US 2015/0077609 A119 Mar 2015
Granted: 15 Mar 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H04N 25/74
Charge-coupled device [CCD] sensors; Charge-transfer registers specially adapted for CCD sensors: circuitry for scanning or addressing the pixel array
H04N 25/134
Characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements: based on three different wavelength filter elements
H04N 25/534
By using differing integration times for different sensor regions: depending on the spectral component
H04N 25/628
Detection or reduction of noise due to excess charges produced by the exposure, e.g. smear, blooming, ghost image, crosstalk or leakage between…