IP Library Granted Patent US 11,115,611
Granted Patent B2
US 11,115,611 · App. 15/930,152 · Granted Sep 7, 2021

Solid-state imaging device and imaging system

Inventors: Yosuke Higashi (Osaka, JP); Norihiko Sumitani (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
H04N5/37455H03M1/56H04N5/378
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,115,611
App. No.
15/930,152
Granted
Sep 7, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A solid-state imaging device includes a first converter which converts an analog signal representing a pixel value to an upper bit of a digital signal, and a second converter which converts the analog signal to a lower bit of the digital signal. The second converter includes a first latch circuit which latches, as phase information, a plurality of clock signals having different phases upon conversion to the upper bit in the first converter, a conversion circuit which generates the lower bit of the digital signal by converting the phase information to a binary value, and an adder, and a second latch circuit which latches an addition result of the adder. The adder adds the binary value converted by the conversion circuit and a value latched by the second latch circuit.

Claims (35)

1. A solid-state imaging device, comprising:

a first converter which converts an analog signal representing a pixel value to an upper bit of a digital signal including the upper bit and a lower bit; and

a second converter which converts the analog signal to the lower bit of the digital signal,

wherein the second converter includes:

a first latch circuit which latches, as phase information, a plurality of clock signals upon conversion to the upper bit in the first converter, the plurality of clock signals having different phases;

a conversion circuit which generates the lower bit of the digital signal by converting the phase information to a binary value;

an adder; and

a second latch circuit which latches an addition result of the adder, and

the adder adds the binary value converted by the conversion circuit and a value latched by the second latch circuit.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first converter includes:

a comparison circuit which compares a level of an analog ramp signal to a level of the analog signal; and

a counter which generates the upper bit of the digital signal from the analog signal by counting time until the level of the analog ramp signal matches the level of the analog signal in a comparison result.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the plurality of clock signals is m clock signals, where m is an integer of 2 or more, and

the first latch circuit latches m-bit phase information.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the adder includes (m−1) full adders, and

the second latch circuit latches an (m−1)·bit addition result, which is the addition result of the adder.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the conversion circuit converts the phase information having 2 (m-1) different phases to an (m−1)·bit binary value.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the counter generates the upper bit of the digital signal by counting time from start of change in the analog ramp signal to inversion of the comparison result signal using a reference clock signal among the plurality of clock signals.

7. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a signal selection circuit which switches a signal to be input to a clock inputter of the counter between a clock signal for a counter and a carry signal of an uppermost bit of the adder according to a control signal.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a switch selector which converts the binary value from the conversion circuit to a complement of 2, and selectively outputs one of the complement of 2 and the binary value to the adder.

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a third latch circuit which latches a carry signal of an uppermost bit of the adder,

wherein using the comparison result signal as a clock signal for the third latch circuit, the third latch circuit latches the carry signal of the uppermost bit of the adder when the comparison result signal is inverted.

10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the counter counts in any of an up-count mode and a down-count mode according to a control signal.

11. An imaging system, comprising:

the solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 ; and

an image signal processor which performs image processing on an output signal of the solid-state imaging device.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 14, 2021
From: PANASONIC SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
Reel/Frame 056245/0395 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2020
From: HIGASHI, YOSUKE; SUMITANI, NORIHIKO
To: PANASONIC SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 053531/0976 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-229407 · Nov 29, 2017 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2018041127 · Nov 6, 2018
Related Publication 20200275045A1 · Aug 27, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,562,750