IP Library Granted Patent US 11,758,303
Granted Patent B2
US 11,758,303 · App. 17/737,142 · Granted Sep 12, 2023

Electronic apparatus, method for controlling electronic apparatus, and control program

Inventor: Satoshi Tsuchiya (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
H04N25/745H01L27/1464H01L27/14609H01L27/14634H04N23/54H04N23/632H04N25/44H04N25/50H04N25/533H04N25/583H04N25/70H04N25/77H04N25/79H01L27/14621H01L27/14627H04N25/134
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,758,303
App. No.
17/737,142
Granted
Sep 12, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

To divide an image capture region into multiple regions for which different image capture conditions are set and to generate multiple moving images corresponding to the multiple regions. An electronic apparatus includes an image sensor that captures first and second moving images in first and second regions of an image capture region on different image capture conditions, the second region differing from the first region, and a moving image generation unit that generates the first and second moving images captured in the first and second regions.

Claims (55)

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an image sensor that includes:

multiple pixels arranged side by side in a row direction;

a first control line that (i) is connected to a first pixel among the multiple pixels, the first pixel including a first photoelectric convertor that converts light into an electric charge, and that (ii) outputs a first control signal for controlling accumulation time of charge that has been converted by the first photoelectric converter; and

a second control line that (i) is connected to a second pixel among the multiple pixels, the second pixel including a second photoelectric convertor that converts light into an electric charge, and that (ii) outputs a second control signal for controlling accumulation time of charge that has been converted by the second photoelectric converter; and

a controller that controls recording, in a memory, of first image data generated based on a first signal output from the first pixel and second image data generated based on a second signal output from the second pixel.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second control signal is output to the second control line at a timing different from a timing at which the first control signal is output to the first control line.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the first pixel includes a first transferer that is connected to the first control line and that transfers the charge of the first photoelectric converter, and

the second pixel includes a second transferer that is connected to the second control line and that transfers the charge of the second photoelectric converter.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the second control signal is output to the second control line at a timing different from a timing at which the first control signal is output to the first control line.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:

the image sensor includes a third control line that is connected to the first pixel to output a third control signal for controlling the accumulation time of charge that has been converted by the first photoelectric convertor;

the image sensor includes a fourth control line that is connected to the second pixel to output a fourth control signal for controlling the accumulation time of charge that has been converted by the second photoelectric convertor;

the first pixel includes a first reset unit that is connected to the third control line and that resets a potential of a first floating diffusion to which the charge of the first photoelectric converter is transferred by the first transferer; and

the second pixel includes a second reset unit that is connected to the fourth control line and that resets a potential of a second floating diffusion to which the charge of the second photoelectric converter is transferred by the second transferer.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

the second control signal is output to the second control line at a timing different from a timing at which the first control signal is output to the first control line, and

the fourth control signal is output to the fourth control line at a timing different from a timing at which the third control signal is output to the third control line.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the first pixel includes a first reset unit that is connected to the first control line and that resets a potential of a first floating diffusion to which the charge of the first photoelectric converter is transferred, and

the second pixel includes a second reset unit that is connected to the second control line and that resets a potential of a second floating diffusion to which the charge of the second photoelectric converter is transferred.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the second control signal is output to the second control line at a timing different from a timing at which the first control signal is output to the first control line.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image sensor includes:

a first output line that is connected to the first pixel and to which the first signal is output; and

a second output line that is connected to the second pixel and to which the second signal is output.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein

the image sensor includes:

a first signal processor that performs signal processing on the first signal output to the first output line; and

a second signal processor that performs signal processing on the second signal output to the second output line, and

the controller controls the recording, in the memory, of the first image data generated based on the first signal processed by the first signal processor and the second image data generated based on the second signal processed by the second signal processor.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the image sensor includes:

an imaging chip in which the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter are arranged; and

a signal processing chip in which at least a part of a circuit of the first signal processor and at least a part of a circuit of the second signal processor are arranged.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the imaging chip is stacked on the signal processing chip.

13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:

the first signal processor includes at least a part of a circuit of a first amplifier that amplifies the first signal with a first amplification factor;

the second signal processor includes at least a part of a circuit of a second amplifier that amplifies the second signal with a second amplification factor different from the first amplification factor; and

the controller controls the recording, in the memory, of the first image data based on the first signal amplified by the first amplifier and the second image data based on the second signal amplified by the second amplifier.

14. The electronic apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein:

the first signal processor includes at least a part of a circuit of a first converter that converts the first signal amplified by the first amplifier into a digital signal;

the second signal processor includes at least a part of a circuit of a second converter that converts the second signal amplified by the second amplifier into a digital signal; and

the controller controls the recording, in the memory, of the first image data based on the first signal converted into a digital signal by the first converter and the second image data based on the second signal converted into a digital signal by the second converter.

15. The electronic apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the image sensor includes:

an imaging chip in which the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter are arranged; and

a signal processing chip in which at least a part of a circuit of the first amplifier and at least a part of a circuit of the second amplifier are arranged.

16. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the imaging chip is stacked on the signal processing chip.

17. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:

the first signal processor includes at least a part of a circuit of a first converter that converts the first signal output to the first output line into a digital signal;

the second signal processor includes at least a part of a circuit of a second converter that converts the second signal output to the second output line into a digital signal; and

the control unit controls the recording, in the memory, of the first image data based on the first signal converted into a digital signal by the first converter and the second image data based on the second signal converted into a digital signal by the second converter.

18. The electronic apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the image sensor includes:

an imaging chip in which the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter are arranged; and

a signal processing chip in which at least a part of a circuit of the first converter and at least a part of a circuit of the second converter are arranged.

19. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the imaging chip is stacked on the signal processing chip.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-167308 · Aug 12, 2013 · national
Continuity (4)
Continuation 16986644 · Aug 6, 2020
Continuation 16395351 · Apr 26, 2019
Continuation 14910428
Related Publication 20220264048A1 · Aug 18, 2022