# US 9,438,837 B2 · Image sensor and image sensing system with redundant data

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- Number: US 9,438,837 B2
- Document ID: US9438837B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/516,894
- Filed: 2014-10-17
- Published: 2015-05-21
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-11-20
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Toshiaki Ono
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438837B2

## CPC

- H04N 25/78: Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An image sensor including a pixel unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix, an A/D conversion circuit provided corresponding to each column of the matrix and configured to A/D-convert a pixel signal output from the pixel unit and output digital data corresponding to the pixel signal, a memory provided on each column, and a redundant data generation unit configured to generate redundant data based on a generating rule of an error correction code for the digital data, wherein the digital data and the redundant data are stored in the memory.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image sensor comprising:
a pixel unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix;
an A/D conversion circuit provided corresponding to each column of the matrix and configured to A/D-convert a pixel signal output from the pixel unit and output digital data corresponding to the pixel signal, the A/D conversion circuit including a comparator configured to compare the signal from the pixel with a reference signal;
a counter circuit configured to count a reference clock and generate a count signal;
a redundant data generation unit configured to generate redundant data for correcting the digital data by encoding the count signal based on a generating rule of an error correction code; and
a memory configured to store the count signal as the digital signal and the redundant data in accordance with an output signal from the comparator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the digital data is a data expressed in a gray code, and the redundant data generation unit generates redundant data based on a generating rule of an error correction code for the gray code.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the digital data is divided into a plurality of blocks, and the redundant data generation unit generates redundant data for each of the plurality of blocks based on a generating rule of an error correction code.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the redundant data generation unit generates redundant data for only bits except for a least significant bit among a plurality of bits consisting the digital data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the error correction code is a BCH code.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the error correction code is a Hamming code.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the error correction code is a Reed-Solomon code.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the comparator operates in synchronism with the reference clock.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the counter circuit outputs the count signal expressed in a gray code.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a digital signal processing unit configured to process data stored in the memory,
wherein the digital signal processing unit performs error correction for the data based on a decoding rule of the error correction code.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor outputs the digital data and the redundant data.

### Claim 12

An image sensing system comprising:
an image sensor; and
an image signal processing unit configured to generate image data by processing an output signal from the image sensor,
wherein the image sensor comprises:
a pixel unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix;
an A/D conversion circuit provided corresponding to each column of the matrix and configured to A/D-convert a pixel signal output from the pixel unit and output digital data corresponding to the pixel signal, the A/D conversion circuit including a comparator configured to compare the signal from the pixel with a reference signal;
a counter circuit configured to count a reference clock and generate a count signal;
a redundant data generation unit configured to generate redundant data for correcting the digital data by encoding the count signal based on a generating rule of an error correction code; and
a memory configured to store the count signal as the digital signal and the redundant data in accordance with an output signal from the comparator.