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US 9,756,272 B2Granted
Image pickup apparatus, image pickup system, and method of driving image pickup apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsDaisuke Kobayashi, Tomoya Onishi, Takeru Ohya
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Abstract
In an image pickup apparatus including first circuits, second circuits, and conversion units, an operation period of the second circuit is shorter than an operation period of the first circuit, and a number of the first circuit arranged in each unit cell is greater than a number of the second circuit arranged in each unit cell.
Claims11
An image pickup apparatus comprising:
- a pixel array comprising a plurality of unit cells arranged in matrix,
- one of the plurality of unit cells outputting a digital signal based on an electric signal, and the one of the plurality of unit cells comprising
- a plurality of photoelectric conversion units each configured to output the electric signal generated by accumulating the electric signal in a period based on electromagnetic waves incident on respective ones of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, and
- a first circuit provided downstream of a photoelectric conversion unit among the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, and a second circuit,
- wherein the first circuit is configured to process the electric signal output from the photoelectric conversion unit after the period, the second circuit is configured to process a signal processed by the first circuit,
- wherein an operation period of the second circuit is shorter than an operation period of the first circuit, and
- wherein a number of the first circuit arranged in the one of the plurality of unit cells is greater than a number of the second circuit arranged in the one of the plurality of unit cells,
- wherein the image pickup apparatus further comprises a third circuit configured to process a signal processed by the second circuit,
- wherein the second circuit is an amplifier configured to amplify the electric signal, and
- wherein the third circuit is a signal processing unit configured to process the electric signal output by the amplifier.
7 more elements
An image pickup apparatus comprising:
- a pixel array comprising a plurality of unit cells arranged in matrix,
- one of the plurality of unit cells outputting a digital signal based on an electric signal, and the one of the plurality of unit cells comprising
- a plurality of photoelectric conversion units each configured to output the electric signal generated by accumulating the electric signal in a period based on electromagnetic waves incident on respective ones of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, and
- a first circuit provided downstream of a photoelectric conversion unit among the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, and a second circuit,
- wherein the first circuit is configured to process the electric signal output from the photoelectric conversion unit after the period, the second circuit is configured to process a signal processed by the first circuit,
- wherein an operation period of the second circuit is shorter than an operation period of the first circuit, and
- wherein a number of the first circuit arranged in the one of the plurality of unit cells is greater than a number of the second circuit arranged in the one of the plurality of unit cells,
- wherein the first circuit is a signal holding unit configured to hold the electric signal, and
- wherein the second circuit is a signal processing unit configured to process the electric signal held in the signal holding unit,
- wherein the image pickup apparatus further comprises:
- a bias line configured to supply an electric potential to the photoelectric conversion unit and the signal processing unit;
- and
- an output line to which the digital signals are sequentially output from the plurality of unit cells,
- wherein the bias line is disposed between photoelectric conversion units in the plurality of photoelectric conversion units included in the unit cell, and
- wherein the output line is disposed between the unit cells.
12 more elements
An image pickup system comprising:
- an image pickup apparatus;
- and
- an output signal processing unit connected to the image pickup apparatus, and configured to generate an image by processing a signal output from the image pickup apparatus,
- wherein the image pickup apparatus comprises:
- a pixel array comprising a plurality of unit cells arranged in matrix,
- one of the plurality of unit cells outputting a digital signal based on an electric signal, and the one of the plurality of unit cells comprising:
- a plurality of photoelectric conversion units configured to output the electric signal generated by accumulating the electric signal in a period based on electromagnetic waves incident on respective ones of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, and
- a first circuit provided downstream of a photoelectric conversion unit among the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, and a second circuit,
- wherein the first circuit is configured to process the electric signal provided downstream of the photoelectric conversion unit, and the second circuit is configured to process a signal processed by the first circuit,
- wherein an operation period of the second circuit is shorter than an operation period of the first circuit, and
- wherein a number of the first circuit arranged in the one of the plurality of unit cells is greater than a number of the second circuit arranged in the one of the plurality of unit cells,
- wherein the image pickup apparatus further comprises a third circuit configured to process a signal processed by the second circuit,
- wherein the second circuit is an amplifier configured to amplify the electric signal, and
- wherein the third circuit is a signal processing unit configured to process the electric signal output by the amplifier.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.