IP Library Granted Patent US 10,319,774
Granted Patent B2
US 10,319,774 · App. 15/085,474 · Granted Jun 11, 2019

Image capturing device

Inventor: Mai Arita (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
H01L27/14636H01L27/14634H04N5/369H04N5/374H04N5/379H04N5/3742H04N5/3765H01L27/14643
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,319,774
App. No.
15/085,474
Granted
Jun 11, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image capturing device includes: a first substrate; a second substrate arranged so that the second substrate overlaps the first substrate; a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix shape on the first substrate; a first vertical scanning circuit arranged on one of the first substrate and the second substrate and configured to output a control signal supplied to every row or every two or more rows of the plurality of pixels; and a plurality of first buffers arranged on the second substrate so that the plurality of first buffers overlap the pixel unit, provided in correspondence with one row or a plurality of rows of the plurality of pixels, and connected to respective signal lines through which the control signal output from the first vertical scanning circuit is transmitted.

Claims (30)

1. An image capturing device comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate arranged so that the second substrate overlaps the first substrate;

a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix shape on the first substrate;

a first vertical scanning circuit arranged on one of the first substrate and the second substrate and configured to output a control signal supplied to every row or every two or more rows of the plurality of pixels;

a plurality of pixel control signal lines arranged in correspondence with each row of the plurality of pixels on the second substrate, the plurality of pixel control signal lines being configured to unidirectionally transmit the control signal in a row direction, and the plurality of pixel control signal lines being branched at branch points such that branch lines are formed in a column direction corresponding to each column of the plurality of pixels for transmitting the control signal from the branch points to the plurality of pixels respectively; and

a plurality of first buffers arranged along the plurality of pixel control signal lines respectively on the second substrate so that the plurality of first buffers overlap the pixel unit, each of the plurality of first buffers being arranged between two of the branch points along the same pixel control signal line, and the plurality of first buffers being provided in correspondence with one row or a plurality of rows of the plurality of pixels,

wherein the control signal is directly transmitted to the pixels which receive the control signal from the branch points disposed nearer than the corresponding first buffer with respect to the first vertical scanning circuit without being transmitted via circuit of the first buffers, and

wherein the control signal is transmitted to the circuit of the first buffers so as to be reshaped by the plurality of first buffers respectively, and the reshaped control signal is transmitted to the pixels which receive the reshaped control signal from the branch points disposed farther than the corresponding first buffer with respect to the first vertical scanning circuit.

2. The image capturing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of second buffers arranged on the second substrate, provided in correspondence with one row or a plurality of rows of the plurality of pixels, and connected to the pixel control signal lines to which the first buffers are connected.

3. The image capturing device according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of second buffers are arranged so that the plurality of second buffers overlap the pixel unit.

4. The image capturing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a second vertical scanning circuit arranged on one of the first substrate and the second substrate and configured to output the control signal supplied to every row or every two or more rows of the plurality of pixels in synchronization with the first vertical scanning circuit, wherein

the plurality of pixels includes a first pixel and a second pixel arranged in the same row,

the control signal output from the first vertical scanning circuit is supplied to the first pixel, and

the control signal output from the second vertical scanning circuit is supplied to the second pixel.

5. The image capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first vertical scanning circuit is arranged so that the first vertical scanning circuit at least partially overlaps the pixel unit.

6. The image capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein two first buffers arranged in two rows adjacent to each other among the plurality of first buffers are arranged so that the two first buffers are displaced from each other in a row direction.

7. An image capturing device comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate;

a third substrate;

a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix shape on the first substrate;

a first vertical scanning circuit arranged on the third substrate and configured to output a control signal supplied to every row or every two or more rows of the plurality of pixels;

a plurality of pixel control signal lines arranged in correspondence with each row of the plurality of pixels on the second substrate, the plurality of pixel control signal lines being configured to unidirectionally transmit the control signal in a row direction, and the plurality of pixel control signal lines being branched at branch points such that branch lines are formed in a column direction corresponding to each column of the plurality of pixels for transmitting the control signal from the branch points to the plurality of pixels respectively; and

a plurality of first buffers arranged along the plurality of pixel control signal lines respectively on the second substrate so that the plurality of first buffers overlap the pixel unit, each of the plurality of first buffers being arranged between two of the branch points along the same pixel control signal line, and the plurality of first buffers being provided in correspondence with one row or a plurality of rows of the plurality of pixels,

wherein the control signal is directly transmitted to the pixels which receive the control signal from the branch points disposed nearer than the corresponding first buffer with respect to the first vertical scanning circuit without being transmitted via circuit of the first buffers,

wherein the control signal is transmitted to the circuit of the first buffers so as to be reshaped by the plurality of first buffers respectively, and the reshaped control signal is transmitted to the pixels which receive the reshaped control signal from the branch points disposed farther than the corresponding first buffer with respect to the first vertical scanning circuit, and

wherein the first substrate and the second substrate overlap each other and the third substrate overlaps a surface opposite to a surface of the second substrate facing the first substrate, or the first substrate and the third substrate overlap each other and the second substrate overlaps a surface opposite to a surface of the third substrate facing the first substrate.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jun 20, 2017
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 042907/0078 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 30, 2016
From: ARITA, MAI
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 038141/0473 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-206211 · Oct 1, 2013 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2014074656 · Sep 18, 2014
Related Publication 20160211299A1 · Jul 21, 2016