IP Library Granted Patent US 7,351,946
Granted Patent B2
US 7,351,946 · App. 11/000,415 · Granted Apr 1, 2008

Semiconductor integrated circuit device and imaging system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,351,946
App. No.
11/000,415
Granted
Apr 1, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

An AD-converted digital video data is encoded by a difference encoding method before it is outputted and such encoded digital video data is then outputted, after it is converted to gray code or to a predetermined code in which a fixed value is added. Problems solved include noise that is generated when the AD conversion circuit outputs video data and that migrates into a CCD side via a power supply line on a printed circuit board, and noise that appears on a display image by migration into an input terminal side from an output circuit side via the power supply line and a semiconductor substrate within an AD conversion LSI.

Claims (18)

1. A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising:

an amplifying circuit for amplifying an analog color video signal output from an imaging element;

an analog to digital conversion circuit for converting the analog color video signal output from the amplifying circuit to a digital signal comprising codes;

a differential circuit for obtaining a difference between codes of adjacent pixels in regards to same colors; and

a code conversion circuit for executing a conversion operation to output codes from the differential circuit;

wherein the codes are of adjacent pixels in regards to an order in which the analog, color video signal is outputted,

wherein change bits between a second output code from the code conversion circuit and a next to the second output code are less in number than change bits between a first output code and a next to the first output code by the conversion operation when the first output code changes from positive to negative,

wherein change bits between the second output code and the next to the second output code are less in number than change bits between the first output code and the next to the first output code by the conversion operation when the first output code changes from negative to positive.

2. A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the conversion operation is a gray code conversion operation for converting an input binary code as the first output code to a gray code.

3. A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the conversion operation is an operation for adding or subtracting a fixed value to or from the first output code.

4. A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the codes depend on a color filter of the imaging element.

5. A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising:

an amplifying circuit for amplifying an analog color video signal output from an imaging element;

an analog to digital conversion circuit for converting the analog color video signal output from the amplifying circuit to a digital signal comprising codes;

a differential circuit for obtaining a difference between codes of adjacent pixels in regards to same colors; and

a code conversion circuit for executing a conversion operation to output codes from the differential circuit,

wherein the codes are of adjacent pixels in regard to an order in which the analog color video signal is outputted,

wherein change bits between a second output code from the code conversion circuit and a next to the second output code are less in number than change bits between a first output code and a next to the first output code by the conversion operation, if the first output code is inversed based on a complement representation when the difference is obtained by the differential circuit.

Assignments (13)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Nov 29, 2017
From: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044928/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 20, 2017
From: HITACHI TOHBU SEMICONDUCTOR, LTD.
To: EASTERN JAPAN SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 043921/0873 →
MERGER Recorded Sep 20, 2017
From: RENESAS EASTERN JAPAN SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: RENESAS NORTHERN JAPAN SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 043638/0393 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ERRONEOUSLY FILED ASSIGNMENT DOCUMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 042356 FRAME 0290. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 20, 2017
From: AIBARA, YASUTOSHI; NAKAJIMA, HIROKI; IMAIZUMI, EIKI; MATSUURA, TATSUJI
To: HITACHI, LTD.; HITACHI ULSI SYSTEMS CO., LTD.; HITACHI TOHBU SEMICONDUCTOR, LTD.
Reel/Frame 043929/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 20, 2017
From: EASTERN JAPAN SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: RENESAS EASTERN JAPAN SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 043982/0284 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2017
From: KURATOMI, BUNSHI; SHIMIZU, FUKUMI
To: RENESAS TECHNOLOGY CORP.; RENESAS EASTERN JAPAN SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 042356/0290 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2017
From: AIBARA, YASUTOSHI; NAKAJIMA, HIROKI; IMAIZUMI, EIKI; MATSUURA, TATSUJI
To: HITACHI, LTD.; HITACHI ULSI SYSTEMS CO., LTD.; HITACHI TOHBU SEMICONDUCTOR, LTD.
Reel/Frame 042356/0200 →
MERGER Recorded May 12, 2017
From: RENESAS NORTHERN JAPAN SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: RENESAS SEMICONDUCTOR KYUSHU YAMAGUCHI CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 042609/0807 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2017
From: HITACHI, LTD.
To: RENESAS TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 042356/0246 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 12, 2017
From: RENESAS SEMICONDUCTOR KYUSHU YAMAGUCHI CO., LTD.
To: RENESAS SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGE & TEST SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 042484/0880 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2014
From: HITACHI ULSI SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 032859/0252 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 13, 2010
From: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024864/0635 →
MERGER Recorded Aug 13, 2010
From: RENESAS TECHNOLOGY CORP.
To: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024879/0190 →