Photoelectric converter
View Patent ↗Provided is a photoelectric converter capable of performing high-speed image reading and resolution switching at the same time. The photoelectric converter includes a plurality of common read lines, and thus parallel output is produced, which enables image reading at high speed. In addition, a photoelectric conversion block ( 10 ) is capable of communicating with another photoelectric conversion block ( 10 ), whereby the common read lines, to which nodes (E) of a plurality of the photoelectric conversion blocks ( 10 ) adjacent to each other are connected, can be made the same. For this reason, voltages of those nodes (E) can be equalized in the same common read line, and hence switching between image resolutions can be realized.
1. A photoelectric converter for converting incident light into an electric signal, comprising:
a plurality of photoelectric conversion blocks each comprising:
a photoelectric conversion element for, when receiving the incident light, changing an output voltage according to an amount of the received incident light;
a reset switch for, when being turned on, resetting the output voltage of the photoelectric conversion element to a reset voltage;
at least one receiving switch provided for receiving from another photoelectric conversion block a voltage which is obtained according to one of the output voltage of the photoelectric conversion element of the another photoelectric conversion block and the reset voltage;
at least one transmitting switch provided for transmitting to the another photoelectric conversion block the voltage which is obtained according to the one of the output voltage of the photoelectric conversion element and the reset voltage;
a capacitor for storing the voltage which is obtained according to the one of the output voltage of the photoelectric conversion element and the reset voltage;
a transfer switch for, when being turned on, transferring to the capacitor the voltage which is obtained according to the one of the output voltage of the photoelectric conversion element and the reset voltage; and
a channel selection switch for, when being turned on, reading the voltage stored in the capacitor into a common read line;
a plurality of common control lines for controlling the at least one receiving switch and the at least one transmitting switch of each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion blocks to control a resolution of the photoelectric converter; and
a plurality of the common read lines.
2. A photoelectric converter according to claim 1 , wherein the each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion blocks further comprises one of a source follower circuit and a buffer circuit which is provided between the transfer switch and the channel selection switch.
3. A photoelectric converter according to claim 1 , further comprising one of a source follower circuit and a buffer circuit which is inserted into each of the plurality of the common read lines.