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US 9,288,412 B2Granted
Image pickup apparatus, method for driving image pickup apparatus, image pickup system
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKazuhiro Sonoda, Shintaro Takenaka, Atsushi Furubayashi
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Abstract
There is provided an image pickup apparatus which outputs a digital signal based on a comparison result signal that changes the signal value at Nth (where N is an integer of 1 or higher) among comparison result signals output by a plurality of comparators.
Claims17
An image pickup apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a matrix form and each pixel outputs a pixel signal;
- a plurality of comparators which are provided correspondingly to columns of the matrix, each comparator is configured to output a comparison result signal having a signal value resulting from a comparison between a signal based on the pixel signal and a signal having a potential that changes depending on time;
- and
- a holding unit which holds a digital signal corresponding to the pixel signal having an Nth largest amplitude where N is an integer of 1 or higher among the pixel signals of the plurality of pixels based on the comparison result signal that changes the signal value at the Nth among the comparison result signals, and that is detected by comparing the comparison result signals output by the plurality of comparators.
1 more element
An image pickup apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a matrix form and each pixel outputs a pixel signal;
- a plurality of comparators which are provided correspondingly to columns of the matrix, each comparator is configured to output a comparison result signal having a signal value resulting from a comparison between a signal based on the pixel signal and a signal having a potential that changes depending on time;
- a holding unit which holds a digital signal acquired by counting a clock pulse signal;
- and
- a control unit which causes the holding unit to hold the digital signal corresponding to the pixel signal having an Nth largest amplitude where N is an integer of 1 or higher among the pixel signals of the plurality of pixels based on the comparison result signal that changes the signal value at the Nth among the comparison result signals, and that is detected by comparing the comparison result signals output by the plurality of comparators.
2 more elements
A method for driving an image pickup apparatus including:
- a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a matrix form and each pixel outputs a pixel signal;
- a plurality of comparators which are provided correspondingly to columns of the matrix, each comparator is configured to output comparison result signals each having a signal value resulting from a comparison between a signal based on the pixel signal and a signal having a potential that changes depending on time;
- and
- a holding unit which holds a digital signal acquired by counting clock pulse signals,
- the method comprising causing the holding unit to hold a count signal which is the digital signal corresponding to the pixel signal having an Nth largest amplitude where N is an integer of 1 or higher among the pixel signals of the plurality of pixels, and which is a signal acquired by counting a clock pulse signal, based on the comparison result signal that changes the signal value at the Nth among the comparison result signals, and that is detected by comparing the comparison result signals output by the plurality of comparators.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.