IP Library Granted Patent US 12701338
Granted Patent B2
US 12701338 · App. 18/473,040 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Analog-to-digital converter, sensor and apparatus

Inventor: Hitoshi Nasu (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H04N25/60H04N25/7795H04N25/78H04N23/667
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12701338
App. No.
18/473,040
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An analog-to-digital converter comprises: an analog-to-digital conversion unit that performs analog-to-digital conversion using ΔΣ modulation on an image signal output from pixels; a setting unit that sets an operating frequency of the analog-to-digital conversion unit; and a generation unit that generates a clock signal having the operating frequency and supplies it to the analog-to-digital conversion unit. The setting unit sets the operating frequency based on at least one of a digital gain to be applied to the signal output from the analog-to-digital conversion unit and a shooting mode.

Claims (31)

1 . An analog-to-digital converter comprising:

one or more processors and/or circuitry which function as:

an analog-to-digital conversion unit that performs analog-to-digital conversion using ΔΣ modulation on an image signal output from pixels;

a setting unit that sets an operating frequency of the analog-to-digital conversion unit; and

a generation unit that generates a clock signal having the operating frequency and supplies it to the analog-to-digital conversion unit,

wherein the setting unit sets the operating frequency based on at least one of a digital gain to be applied to the signal output from the analog-to-digital conversion unit and a shooting mode so that bit precision of a signal obtained by applying a digital gain to the image signal which has undergone the analog-to-digital conversion by the analog-to-digital conversion unit is constant regardless of magnitude of the digital gain.

2 . The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 1 , wherein the generation unit divides and multiplies a frequency of a predetermined clock signal to generate the clock signal having the operating frequency.

3 . The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 1 , wherein, given that a predetermined digital gain is M, the setting unit obtains the operating frequency by multiplying a predetermined frequency by M/N in a case where the digital gain to be applied to the image signal is N.

4 . The analog-to-digital converter according to claim 3 , wherein the digital gain is determined based on at least one of ISO sensitivity and a correction method including peripheral illumination correction.

5 . A sensor comprising:

a plurality of pixels; and

an analog-to-digital converter comprising one or more processors and/or circuitry which function as:

an analog-to-digital conversion unit that performs analog-to-digital conversion using ΔΣ modulation on an image signal output from the pixels;

a setting unit that sets an operating frequency of the analog-to-digital conversion unit; and

a generation unit that generates a clock signal having the operating frequency and supplies it to the analog-to-digital conversion unit, and

wherein the setting unit sets the operating frequency based on at least one of a digital gain to be applied to the signal output from the analog-to-digital conversion unit and a shooting mode so that bit precision of a signal obtained by applying a digital gain to the image signal which has undergone the analog-to-digital conversion by the analog-to-digital conversion unit is constant regardless of magnitude of the digital gain.

6 . The sensor according to claim 5 , wherein the generation unit divides and multiplies a frequency of a predetermined clock signal to generate the clock signal having the operating frequency.

7 . The sensor according to claim 5 , wherein, given that a predetermined digital gain is M, the setting unit, in the analog-to-digital converter, obtains the operating frequency by multiplying a predetermined frequency by M/N in a case where the digital gain to be applied to the image signal is N.

8 . The sensor according to claim 5 , wherein, in the analog-to-digital converter, the digital gain is determined based on at least one of ISO sensitivity and a correction method including peripheral illumination correction.

9 . An apparatus comprising:

a sensor that includes:

a plurality of pixels; and

an analog-to-digital converter comprising one or more processors and/or circuitry which function as:

an analog-to-digital conversion unit that performs analog-to-digital conversion using ΔΣ modulation on an image signal output from the pixels;

a setting unit that sets an operating frequency of the analog-to-digital conversion unit; and

a generation unit that generates a clock signal having the operating frequency and supplies it to the analog-to-digital conversion unit; and

a signal processing unit that processes the image signal converted by the analog-to-digital converter,

wherein the setting unit sets the operating frequency based on at least one of a digital gain to be applied to the signal output from the analog-to-digital conversion unit and a shooting mode so that bit precision of a signal obtained by applying a digital gain to the image signal which has undergone the analog-to-digital conversion by the analog-to-digital conversion unit is constant regardless of magnitude of the digital gain.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the generation unit divides and multiplies a frequency of a predetermined clock signal to generate the clock signal having the operating frequency.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein, given that a predetermined digital gain is M, the setting unit, in the analog-to-digital converter, obtains the operating frequency by multiplying a predetermined frequency by M/N in a case where the digital gain to be applied to the image signal is N.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein, in the analog-to-digital converter, the digital gain is determined based on at least one of ISO sensitivity and a correction method including peripheral illumination correction.