Solid-state imaging device and imaging apparatus

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

a pixel including a photoelectric converter that generates a charge and a charge accumulator that converts the charge into a voltage;

a controller that causes the pixel to perform exposure in a first exposure mode and convert the charge into the voltage with a first gain to output a first pixel signal, and causes the pixel to perform exposure in a second exposure mode and convert the charge into the voltage with a second gain to output a second pixel signal, the second exposure mode being shorter in exposure time than the first exposure mode, and the second gain being lower than the first gain; and

a signal processor that synthesizes the second pixel signal after amplification and the first pixel signal,

wherein the signal processor amplifies the second pixel signal with an amplification factor that corresponds to a gain ratio of the first gain to the second gain and an exposure time ratio of the first exposure mode to the second exposure mode.

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

a storage that stores one pixel signal from among the first pixel signal and the second pixel signal, in association with a pixel row in which a plurality of pixels including the pixel are arranged in a row direction,

wherein the signal processor associates, with the pixel row, an other pixel signal from among the first pixel signal and the second pixel signal and the one pixel signal stored in the storage, and amplifies the second pixel signal to cause an inclination of the second pixel signal after the amplification with respect to an amount of light incident on the photoelectric converter to be linear with the first pixel signal.

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

wherein at least the pixel is formed on a first semiconductor chip, and at least the storage and the signal processor are formed on a second semiconductor chip.

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

wherein the pixel includes a gain control switch element connected to the charge accumulator, and a capacitor connected to the charge accumulator via the gain control switch element, and

the controller sets the gain control switch element to a non-conducting state to cause the charge accumulator to convert the charge into the voltage with the first gain, and sets the gain control switch element to a conducting state to cause the charge accumulator to convert the charge into the voltage with the second gain.

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

wherein the pixel includes a reset switch element that resets a voltage of the charge accumulator to a power voltage, a gain control switch element connected to the charge accumulator via the reset switch element, and a capacitor connected to a node between the reset switch element and the gain control switch element, and

the controller sets the reset switch element to a non-conducting state to cause the charge accumulator to convert the charge into the voltage with the first gain, and sets the reset switch element to a conducting state and the gain control switch element to a non-conducting state to cause the charge accumulator to convert the charge into the voltage with the second gain.

6. An imaging apparatus comprising the solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 .

7. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

a pixel including a photoelectric converter that generates a charge and a charge accumulator that converts the charge into a voltage;

a controller that causes the pixel to perform exposure in a first exposure mode and convert the charge into the voltage with a first gain to output a first pixel signal, and causes the pixel to perform exposure in a second exposure mode and convert the charge into the voltage with a second gain to output a second pixel signal, the second exposure mode being shorter in exposure time than the first exposure mode, and the second gain being lower than the first gain; and

a signal processor that synthesizes the second pixel signal after amplification and the first pixel signal,

wherein a plurality of pixels including the pixel include a first pixel having a first sensitivity and a second pixel located adjacent to the first pixel in a same row and having a second sensitivity lower than the first sensitivity, and

the controller causes longer exposure of the second pixel than the first pixel in each of the first exposure mode and the second exposure mode.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 7 ,

wherein the controller causes the second pixel to perform exposure for a time obtained by multiplying an exposure time of the first pixel by a sensitivity ratio of the first sensitivity to the second sensitivity, in each of the first exposure mode and the second exposure mode.

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the controller:

causes the first pixel to perform exposure, with a total exposure time in the first exposure mode and the second exposure mode being less than or equal to 1 vertical scanning period; and

causes the second pixel to perform exposure for a time obtained by multiplying the total exposure time and the sensitivity ratio in a case where the time is less than or equal to 1 vertical scanning period, and causes the second pixel to perform exposure for a predetermined time less than or equal to 1 vertical scanning period in a case where the time is greater than 1 vertical scanning period.

10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 7 ,

wherein the controller causes the second pixel to perform exposure for a longest time that limits a total exposure time in the first exposure mode and the second exposure mode to less than or equal to 1 vertical scanning period and induces no saturation in each of the first exposure mode and the second exposure mode.