IP Library Granted Patent US 12,348,887
Granted Patent B2
US 12,348,887 · App. 17/816,097 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Photoelectric conversion device

Inventor: Hideo Kobayashi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H04N25/78G01C3/02G06T7/50G06T2207/10028H04N25/51
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,348,887
App. No.
17/816,097
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A photoelectric conversion device including pixels arranged to form rows, a scanning circuit that performs scanning for sequentially outputting a signal from the pixel on a row basis, and a processing circuit that processes a signal output from the pixel. The processing circuit corrects, based on a first reset signal and a second reset signal based on a reset state of the pixel, an optical signal based on incident light. The scanning circuit performs scanning for outputting the optical signal and the first reset signal from the pixel by scans performed in different periods. The scanning circuit performs scanning for outputting the optical signal and the second reset signal from the pixel by a scan. The first reset signal, the second reset signal, and the optical signal are output from the pixel in a frame period in which signals to be used for generating a frame is output.

Claims (49)

1. A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged to form a plurality of rows, and each pixel configured to output a signal corresponding to incident light by photoelectric conversion;

a scanning circuit configured to perform scanning for sequentially outputting a signal from each pixel on a row basis; and

a processing circuit configured to process a signal output from each pixel,

wherein the processing circuit corrects, based on a first reset signal and a second reset signal each based on a reset state of the pixel, an optical signal based on the incident light,

wherein the scanning circuit performs scanning for outputting the optical signal and the first reset signal from the pixel by scans performed in different periods,

wherein the scanning circuit performs scanning for outputting the optical signal and the second reset signal from the pixel by a scan, and

wherein the first reset signal, the second reset signal, and the optical signal are output from the pixel in a frame period in which signals to be used for generating a frame is output.

2. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 further comprising a frame memory,

wherein the processing circuit reads the first reset signal from the frame memory to correct the optical signal, and stores a corrected optical signal in the frame memory.

3. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit changes a content of correction of the optical signal in accordance with a result of determination based on the first reset signal.

4. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 3 , wherein the processing circuit performs the determination by comparing a signal based on a difference between the first reset signal and the second reset signal with a threshold value.

5. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 3 , wherein the processing circuit performs the determination by comparing a signal based on the first reset signal with a threshold value.

6. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 3 , wherein the processing circuit determines, in accordance with the result of the determination, whether or not both the first reset signal and the second reset signal are used in correcting the optical signal.

7. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit performs the correction by subtracting ½ times of the first reset signal and ½ times of the second reset signal from the optical signal.

8. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit performs the correction by subtracting an average of the first reset signal and the second reset signal from the optical signal.

9. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the scanning circuit performs scanning for outputting a plurality of the first reset signals by another scan.

10. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 9 , wherein when the total number of the plurality of first reset signals and the second reset signal is n, the processing circuit performs the correction by subtracting 1/n times of the first reset signal and 1/n times of the second reset signal from the optical signal.

11. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 9 , wherein the processing circuit performs the correction by subtracting an average of the plurality of first reset signals and the second reset signal from the optical signal.

12. Equipment comprising:

the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 ; and

at least any one of:

an optical device adapted for the photoelectric conversion device,

a control device configured to control the photoelectric conversion device,

a processing device configured to process a signal output from the photoelectric conversion device,

a display device configured to display information obtained by the photoelectric conversion device,

a storage device configured to store information obtained by the photoelectric conversion device, and

a mechanical device configured to operate based on information obtained by the photoelectric conversion device.

13. The equipment according to claim 12 , wherein the processing device processes image signals generated by a plurality of photoelectric conversion units, respectively, and acquires distance information on a distance from the photoelectric conversion device to an object.

14. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the pixel separately outputs the first reset signal, the second reset signal, and the optical signal at different times.

15. A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged to form a plurality of rows, and each pixel configured to output a signal corresponding to incident light by photoelectric conversion; and

a scanning circuit configured to perform scanning for sequentially outputting a signal from each pixel on a row basis,

wherein the scanning circuit performs scanning for:

outputting a first reset signal based on a reset state of the pixel from the pixel in a first scan,

outputting an optical signal based on the incident light from the pixel in a second scan performed in a period different from the first scan, and

outputting a second reset signal based on a reset state of the pixel from the pixel in the first scan or the second scan,

wherein no optical signal is output from the pixel in the first scan, and

wherein the first reset signal, the second reset signal, and the optical signal are output from the pixel in a frame period in which signals to be used for generating a frame is output.

16. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 15 , wherein the pixel separately outputs the first reset signal, the second reset signal, and the optical signal at different times.

17. A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged to form a plurality of rows, each pixel including a photoelectric conversion unit, and each pixel configured to output a signal corresponding to incident light by photoelectric conversion;

a scanning circuit configured to perform scanning for sequentially outputting a signal from each pixel on a row basis; and

a processing circuit configured to process a signal output from each pixel,

wherein the processing circuit corrects, based on a first reset signal and a second reset signal each based on a reset state of the pixel, an optical signal based on the incident light,

wherein the scanning circuit performs scanning for outputting the optical signal and the first reset signal from the pixel by scans performed in different periods,

wherein the scanning circuit performs scanning for outputting the optical signal and the second reset signal from the pixel by a single scan, and

wherein a shutter scan for resetting the photoelectric conversion unit and releasing the reset of the photoelectric conversion unit is performed between a scan for outputting the first reset signal from the pixel and the single scan.

18. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 17 , wherein the pixel separately outputs the first reset signal, the second reset signal, and the optical signal at different times.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 9, 2022
From: KOBAYASHI, HIDEO
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 061037/0702 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-128516 · Aug 4, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230041974A1 · Feb 9, 2023
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