# US 9,438,828 B2 · Photoelectric conversion apparatus and imaging system using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,828 B2 - Document ID: US9438828B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/614,980 - Filed: 2015-02-05 - Published: 2015-08-13 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-02-10 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Tetsuya Itano; Kohichi Nakamura; Hideo Kobayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438828B2 ## CPC - H04N 25/583: with different integration times - H04N 25/445: by skipping some contiguous pixels within the read portion of the array - H04N 25/447: by preserving the colour pattern with or without loss of information - H04N 25/46: by combining or binning pixels - H04N 25/77: Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components - H04N 2101/00: Still video cameras - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Provided is a photoelectric conversion apparatus including: a pixel array having pixels arranged in matrix; a pixel output line provided according to each column of the pixel array and transmitting a pixel signal output from a pixel of each column of the pixel array; a column signal processing unit provided according to each column of the pixel array and into which the pixel signal is input from the pixel output line, in which the column signal processing unit has a plurality of horizontal adding up or averaging units configured to add up or average the plurality of pixel signals based on the pixels of different columns of the pixel array; and a plurality of adding up or averaging modes with different numbers of columns subjected to adding up or averaging can be selected by selectively using one or a plurality of the plurality of horizontal adding up or averaging units. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising: a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels is arranged in a matrix; a plurality of pixel output lines, each of the plurality of pixel output lines being provided according to a corresponding column of the pixel array and transmitting a pixel signal output from a pixel of the pixel array; a plurality of column signal processing units, each of the plurality of column signal processing units being provided according to the corresponding column of the pixel array and into which the pixel signal is input from the pixel output line; a first adding up or averaging unit configured to add up or average the plurality of pixel signals output to the plurality of pixel output lines corresponding to different columns of the pixel array; and a second adding up or averaging unit, arranged at a subsequent stage of the first adding up or averaging unit, configured to add up or average the plurality of pixel signals output to the plurality of pixel output lines corresponding to different columns of the pixel array, wherein between the first adding up or averaging unit and the second adding up or averaging unit, cycles of the columns from which added up or averaged signals are output are different from each other. ### Claim 2 A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising: a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels is arranged in a matrix; a plurality of pixel output lines, each of the plurality of pixel output lines being provided according to each column of the pixel array and transmitting a pixel signal output from a pixel of each column of the pixel array; and a plurality of column signal processing units, each of the plurality of column signal processing units being provided according to each column of the pixel array and into which the pixel signal is input from the pixel output line, wherein a column signal processing unit of the plurality of column signal processing units has a plurality of horizontal adding up or averaging units configured to add up or average the plurality of pixel signals based on the pixels of different columns of the pixel array, an amplification unit having a plurality of input capacitors, and a holding unit including a plurality of holding capacitors in which an output signal of the amplification unit is held, a plurality of adding up or averaging modes with different numbers of columns subjected to adding up or averaging can be selected by selectively using one or a plurality of the plurality of horizontal adding up or averaging units, the plurality of horizontal adding up or averaging units includes a unit configured to perform horizontal adding up or averaging by switching connection with the plurality of input capacitors and the plurality of pixel output lines, and the plurality of horizontal adding up or averaging unit includes a unit configured to perform horizontal adding up or averaging by switching connection with the plurality of holding capacitors and an output of the amplification unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the column signal processing unit comprises an amplification unit, the first adding up or averaging unit is configured to add up or average a signal that is input to the amplification unit from the plurality of pixel output lines corresponding to different columns, and the second adding up or averaging unit is configured to add up or average a signal that is output from a plurality of the amplification units corresponding to different columns. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first adding up or averaging unit comprises a plurality of switches connected between the respective pixel output lines in series, and the amplification unit comprises a plurality of input capacitors, each of the plurality of input capacitors being connected to a node between the plurality of switches. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the amplification unit is configured to change an amplification rate of the amplification unit by changing a number of input capacitors connected to an input terminal of the amplification unit by controlling the plurality of switches. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the column signal processing unit further comprises a holding unit including a plurality of holding capacitors in which an output signal of the amplification unit is held, and the second adding up or averaging unit is configured to switch connection between a plurality of output terminals of the plurality of amplification units corresponding to different columns and a plurality of the holding capacitors. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second adding up or averaging unit comprises a plurality of switches connected between the respective output lines of the plurality of amplification units in series, and each of the plurality of holding capacitors are connected to a node between the plurality of switches. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the column signal processing unit comprises a holding unit including a plurality of holding capacitors each holding the pixel signal, and a comparator configured to compare the input pixel signal with a reference signal and output a signal indicating a comparison result, the comparator comprises a differential amplifier, and a plurality of clamp capacitors connected between an input terminal of the differential amplifier and an input terminal of the comparator, the first adding up or averaging unit is configured to switch connection between the plurality of pixel output lines corresponding to different columns and the plurality of holding capacitors, and the second adding up or averaging unit is configured to switch connection between a plurality of output terminals of the plurality of holding units and the plurality of the clamp capacitors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first adding up or averaging unit and the second adding up or averaging unit is configured to add up or average the plurality of pixel signals at different ratios. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first adding up or averaging unit and the second adding up or averaging unit are further configured to be operable in a non-adding up or non-averaging mode for outputting without adding up or averaging the pixel signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pixel signal read out from each column of the pixel array is a pixel signal subjected to adding up or averaging in the pixel output line in each column by simultaneously driving the plurality of rows of the pixel array. ### Claim 12 An imaging system having a photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising: a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels is arranged in a matrix; a plurality of pixel output lines, each of the plurality of pixel output lines being provided according to a corresponding column of the pixel array and transmitting a pixel signal output from a pixel of the pixel array; a plurality of column signal processing units, each of the plurality of column signal processing units being provided according to the corresponding column of the pixel array and into which the pixel signal is input from the pixel output line; a first adding up or averaging unit configured to add up or average the plurality of pixel signals output to the plurality of pixel output lines corresponding to different columns of the pixel array; and a second adding up or averaging unit, arranged at a subsequent stage of the first adding up or averaging unit, configured to add up or average the plurality of pixel signals output to the plurality of pixel output lines corresponding to different columns of the pixel array, wherein between the first adding up or averaging unit and the second adding up or averaging unit, cycles of the columns from which added up or averaged signals are output are different from each other, and an image signal processing unit configured to execute processing of a signal output from the photoelectric conversion apparatus.