Solid-state image pickup device
A high dynamic range solid-state image pickup device is provided with a plurality of unit cells, which convert light into signal charges and accumulate the signal charges. The unit cells are arranged by rows and columns for outputting a signal voltage corresponding to the signal charges. A selector and a read transistor set an accumulation time period for accumulating the signal charges in the unit cells to a first period and a second period different from each other. The row selector and a vertical selection transistor select a row. Sampling capacitors (210 a , 210 b ) are connected to the unit cell of each column. A pulse generator and sampling transistors select an arbitrary sampling capacitor from the sampling capacitors. The pulse generator and the sampling transistors perform selection so as to accumulate the signal voltage corresponding to the signal charges accumulated during the first period and the second period in the sampling capacitors, respectively.
1. An amplification-type solid-state image pickup device, comprising:
a plurality of unit cells including (i) a photoelectric converter operable to convert light into signal charges and to accumulate the signal charges, and (ii) a reader operable to read the signal charges from said photoelectric converter, said unit cells being arranged by rows and columns, each of said unit cells being operable to output amplified signals corresponding to the signal charges;
a read controller operable to control said reader to read the signal charges accumulated during a first period and a second period, said first period and said second period being accumulation time periods different from each other;
a row selector operable to select a row;
a first capacitor element and a second capacitor element which are connected to each of the columns of said unit cells; and
a capacitor selector operable to select one of said first capacitor element and said second capacitor element,
wherein said capacitor selector is operable to perform a selecting, so that the amplified signals corresponding to the signal charges accumulated during the first period and the second period are accumulated into said first capacitor element and said second capacitor element, respectively, and
said capacitor selector is operable to perform the selecting so that signal-to-noise ratios of the amplified signals accumulated in said first capacitor element and said second capacitor element become similar.
2. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 ,
wherein said first capacitor element and said second capacitor element have capacitance values different from each other.
3. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 ,
wherein said capacitor selector is operable to perform the selecting based on a ratio between the first period and the second period.
4. An amplification-type solid-state image pickup device, comprising:
a plurality of unit cells including (i) a photoelectric converter operable to convert light into signal charges and to accumulate the signal charges, and (ii) a reader operable to read the signal charges from said photoelectric converter, said unit cells being arranged by rows and columns, each of said unit cells being operable to output amplified signals corresponding to the signal charges;
a read controller operable to control said reader to read the signal charges accumulated during a first period and a second period, said first period and second period being accumulation time periods different from each other; and
a row selector operable to select a row, wherein
said row selector is operable to sequentially select two rows which are separated by at least two rows,
said read controller is operable to control said reader to read the signal charges accumulated during the first period when the signal charges are read from said unit cells in one of the at least two rows, and to control said reader to read the signal charges accumulated during the second period when the signal charges are read from said unit cells in an other row.
5. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 4 ,
wherein said row selector includes a select circuit operable to control the selecting of the two rows which are separated by at least two rows.
6. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a horizontal signal line which is connected to a first capacitor element and a second capacitor element,
wherein a capacitor selector is operable to perform selecting so that amplified signals in said first capacitor element and said second capacitor element are separately read out to said horizontal signal line.
7. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a first horizontal signal line and a second horizontal signal line which are connected to a first capacitor element and a second capacitor element, respectively.
8. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a shorter one of the first period and the second period is shorter than one horizontal scanning period.
9. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a horizontal signal line which is connected to said first capacitor element and said second capacitor element,
wherein said capacitor selector is operable to perform the selecting so that the amplified signals in the first capacitor element and the second capacitor element are read out to said horizontal signal line at a same time.
10. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first period and second period are shorter than one vertical scanning period.
11. An amplification-type solid-state image pickup device, comprising:
a plurality of unit cells including (i) a photoelectric converter operable to convert light into signal charges and to accumulate the signal charges, and (ii) a reader operable to read the signal charges from said photoelectric converter, said unit cells being arranged by rows and columns, each of said unit cells being operable to output amplified signals corresponding to the signal charges; and
a read controller operable to control said reader to read the signal charges accumulated during a first period and during a second period, the first period and the second period being accumulation time periods different from each other,
wherein said read controller is operable to control said reader to read the signal charges accumulated during the first and second periods which are different from each other when the amplified signals of said unit cells in a plurality of the rows are not added together, and control said reader to add together signal charges accumulated during a third accumulation time period in different rows and to read the added signal charges when the amplified signals of said unit cells in the plurality of the rows are added together.
12. The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a row selector operable to select a row;
a first capacitor element and a second capacitor element which are connected to each of the columns of said unit cells; and
a capacitor selector operable to select an arbitrary capacitor element out of said first capacitor element and said second capacitor element,
wherein said capacitor selector is operable to perform the selecting so that the amplified signals corresponding to the signal charges accumulated during the first period and the second period are accumulated into said first capacitor element and the second capacitor element, respectively, when the amplified signals of said unit cells in the plurality of the rows are not added together, and perform the selecting so that the amplified signals corresponding to the signal charges accumulated during the third accumulation time period in said different unit cells in the plurality of the rows are accumulated into one of said first capacitor element and said second capacitor element, when the amplified signals of said unit cells in the plurality of the rows are added together.