IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA SYSTEM INCLUDING SENSE CIRCUITS TO MAKE BINARY DECISION
An imaging device includes: a pixel array section having an array of pixels, each of which has a photoelectric converting device and outputs an electric signal according to an input photon; a sense circuit section having a plurality of sensor circuits each of which makes binary decision on whether there is a photon input to a pixel in a predetermined period upon reception of the electric signal therefrom; and a decision result IC section which integrates decision results from the sense circuits, pixel by pixel or for each group of pixels, multiple times to generate imaged data with a gradation, the decision result IC section including a count circuit which performs a count process to integrate the decision results from the sense circuits, and a memory for storing a counting result for each pixel from the count circuit, the sense circuits sharing the count circuit for integrating the decision results.
1 . (canceled)
2 . An imaging device comprising:
a first substrate including
a photoelectric converting device that outputs a signal according to an input photon; and
a second substrate including
a sense circuit that performs a binary decision based on the signal from the photoelectric converting device in a predetermined period and outputs a decision result based on the binary decision, and
decision result circuitry including a count circuit configured to perform a count process to integrate decision results from the sense circuit, and a memory configured to store a counting result from the count circuit,
wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are stacked on one another.
3 . The imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein
the first substrate and the second substrate are laminated on one another, and
the photoelectric converting device faces the sense circuit.
4 . The imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein
the first substrate includes an array of a plurality of pixels, each pixel in the plurality of pixels having a photoelectric converting device that outputs a signal according to an input photon, and
the second substrate includes a plurality of sense circuits, the plurality of sense circuits performing binary decisions based on signals from the photoelectric converting devices in a predetermined period and outputting decision results based on the binary decisions.
5 . The imaging device according to claim 4 , wherein
the plurality of sense circuits are arranged in an array, and
the plurality of pixels and the plurality of sense circuits are formed in a one-to-one correspondence.
6 . The imaging device according to claim 5 , wherein
each pixel in the plurality of pixels is connected to a respective sense circuit in the plurality of sense circuits via a signal line.
7 . The imaging device according to claim 5 , wherein
the decision result circuitry includes a plurality of count circuits, and
every predetermined number of sense circuits share a respective count circuit.
8 . The imaging device according to claim 7 , wherein
the plurality of sense circuits are laid out in a matrix form in a row direction and in a column direction, and
sense circuits which are located in a same row or a same column share a respective count circuit.
9 . The imaging device according to claim 2 , further comprising
a reset transistor configured to reset the photoelectric converting device to a state where a photon is not input.
10 . The imaging device according to claim 9 , wherein
the reset transistor is configured to reset the photoelectric converting device according to a first exposure period and a second exposure period to acquire first exposure data and second exposure data.
11 . The imaging device according to claim 10 , wherein
the first exposure period is longer than the second exposure period.
12 . The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein
the decision result circuitry is configured to store a counting result of the second exposure period in the memory upon determination that a counting result of the first exposure period exceeds a predetermined value.