IP Library Granted Patent US 8,964,077
Granted Patent B2
US 8,964,077 · App. 13/588,627 · Granted Feb 24, 2015

Solid-state imaging device, method for driving the same, and imaging device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,964,077
App. No.
13/588,627
Granted
Feb 24, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A CMOS image sensor including a pixel array unit having pixels arranged in even-numbered pixel rows and odd-numbered pixel rows. A reading operation performed such that a first signal of a first pixel group is read in a first accumulation time, and a second signal of a second pixel group is read in a second accumulation time shorter than said first accumulation time.

Claims (23)

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

a pixel array including a plurality of light responsive pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array; and

a driving portion configured to cause a first signal of a first pixel group having a first accumulation time, a first signal of a second pixel group having a second accumulation time, and a second signal of the second pixel group having the second accumulation time to be read, wherein the second accumulation time is shorter than the first accumulation time,

wherein,

the driving portion is configured to cause the first signal of the second pixel group and the second signal of the second pixel group to be read before the first signal of the first pixel group is read,

the first signal of the first pixel group, the first signal of the second pixel group, and the second signal of the second pixel group are read in a same frame,

a number of pixels in at least one of the first pixel group having the first accumulation time and the second pixel group having the second accumulation time is greater than a number of pixels in a row of the two-dimensional array,

the first signal of the second pixel group is read from a pixel located in a row above a pixel from which the first signal of the first pixel group is read, and the second signal of the second pixel group is read from a pixel located in a row below the pixel from which the first signal of the first pixel group is read, and

pixels of the first pixel group and pixels of the second pixel group are arranged in even-numbered rows and odd-numbered rows in the pixel array, respectively.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein pixels of the first pixel group and pixels of the second pixel group are arranged in different rows of the pixel array.

3. The solid-state imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the imaging device is a CMOS sensor.

4. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a pixel array unit including a plurality of light responsive pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array;

a driving portion configured to cause a first signal of a first pixel group having a first accumulation time, a first signal of a second pixel group having a second accumulation time, and a second signal of the second pixel group having the second accumulation time to be read, wherein the second accumulation time is shorter than the first accumulation time; and

an electronic-shutter driving portion configured to perform an electronic shutter operation in which rows of the pixel array unit are successively scanned and pixels in the rows are read,

wherein,

the driving portion is configured to cause the first signal of the second pixel group and the second signal of the second pixel group to be read before the first signal of the first pixel group is read,

the first signal of the first pixel group, the first signal of the second pixel group, and the second signal of the second pixel group are read in a same frame,

a number of pixels in at least one of the first pixel group having the first accumulation time and the second pixel group having the second accumulation time is greater than a number of pixels in a row of the array,

the first signal of the second pixel group is read from a pixel located in a row above a pixel from which the first signal of the first pixel group is read, and the second signal of the second pixel group is read from a pixel located in a row below the pixel from which the first signal of the first pixel group is read, and

pixels of the first pixel group and pixels of the second pixel group are arranged in even-numbered rows and odd-numbered rows in the pixel array unit, respectively.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4 , wherein pixels of the first pixel group and pixels of the second pixel group are arranged in different rows of the pixel array.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 4 , further including at least one lens configured to form an image on the pixel array unit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 19, 2016
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 040419/0001 →