Imaging device and imaging system

1. An imaging device comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including:

a photoelectric conversion unit that generates charge according to incident light;

a holding unit that holds the charge;

an amplifier transistor that outputs a signal based on the charge;

a first transfer transistor that transfers the charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit;

a second transfer transistor that transfers the charge from the holding unit to the amplifier transistor; and

an overflow transistor that discharges charge from the photoelectric conversion unit,

wherein:

in a first frame period among a plurality of frame periods, charge generated in a first exposure period is accumulated,

in a second frame period following the first frame period, charge generated in a second exposure period with a length of a period different from the first exposure period is accumulated,

each of the first exposure period and the second exposure period starts by switching the overflow transistors of the plurality of pixels from on state to off state at the same time and ends by transferring the charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit and by switching the first transfer transistors of the plurality of pixels from on state to off state at the same time,

after each of the first exposure period and the second exposure period, sequentially in the plurality of pixels, the amplifier transistor outputs signal based on the charge by transferring the charge from the holding unit to the amplifier transistor by the second transfer transistor,

an interval between a temporal center of the first exposure period and a temporal center of the second exposure period is equal to an interval between a temporal center of the first frame period and a temporal center of the second frame period, and

in each of the plurality of pixels, a length of a period from a timing of an end of the first exposure period to a timing that the charge generated in the first exposure period is transferred to the amplifier transistor by the second transfer transistor, and a length of a period from a timing of an end of the second exposure period to a timing that the charge generated in the second exposure period is transferred to the amplifier transistor by the second transfer transistor are different from each other.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

an operation of turning on from off the first transfer transistor and subsequently turning off the first transfer transistor again is repeated for a plurality of times in each of the plurality of pixels to transfer the charge generated in one of the first exposure period and the second exposure period from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit in a plurality of parts, and

an operation of lastly turning off the first transfer transistor in the plurality of times of the operation of the first transfer transistor ends one of the first exposure period and the second exposure period.

3. The imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein

in the plurality of times of the operation of turning on from off the first transfer transistor and again turning off the first transfer transistor, timings of turning off the first transfer transistors are at constant intervals.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first transfer transistors of the plurality of pixels are turned on at the same time at a timing that one of the first exposure period and the second exposure period is started, and

subsequently, the first transfer transistors of the plurality of pixels are kept in on-state in a period until one of the first exposure period and the second exposure period ends.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

an operation of turning off from on the overflow transistors of the plurality of pixels at the same time and subsequently turning on the overflow transistors again at the same time is repeated for a plurality of times to divide one exposure period into a plurality of periods, and

an operation of firstly turning off the overflow transistors in the plurality of times of the operation of the overflow transistors starts one of the first exposure period and the second exposure period.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

in parallel with the operation of accumulating the charge generated by the incident light by the photoelectric conversion units of the plurality of pixels in part of the second exposure period,

the second transfer transistors sequentially transfer the charge generated in the first exposure period and held by the holding units to the amplifier transistors in the plurality of pixels, and

the amplifier transistors sequentially output signals based on the charge in the plurality of pixels.

7. An imaging device comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including:

a photoelectric conversion unit that generates charge according to incident light;

a holding unit that holds the charge;

an amplifier transistor that outputs a signal based on the charge; a first transfer transistor that transfers the charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit;

a second transfer transistor that transfers the charge from the holding unit to the amplifier transistor; and

an overflow transistor that discharges charge from the photoelectric conversion unit,

wherein:

a plurality of accumulation operations of accumulating charge generated in respective predetermined periods is performed correspondingly to each of a plurality of frame periods,

the plurality of accumulation operations includes at least a first accumulation operation and a second accumulation operation in which the predetermined periods are different,

each of the predetermined periods starts by switching the overflow transistors of the plurality of pixels from on state to off state at the same time and ends by transferring the charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit and by switching the first transfer transistors of the plurality of pixels from on state to off state at the same time,

after each of the predetermined periods, sequentially in the plurality of pixels, the amplifier transistor outputs signal based on the charge by transferring the charge from the holding unit to the amplifier transistor by the second transfer transistor,

temporal centers of the predetermined periods are at constant intervals in the plurality of accumulation operations, and

in each of the plurality of pixels, a length of a period from a timing of an end of the predetermined period the first accumulation operation is performed to a timing that the charge accumulated in the first accumulation operation is transferred to the amplifier transistor by the second transfer transistor, and a length of a period from a timing of an end of the predetermined period the second accumulation operation is performed to a timing that the charge accumulated in the second accumulation operation is transferred to the amplifier transistor by the second transfer transistor are different from each other.

8. The imaging device according to claim 7 , wherein

the temporal center in each of the plurality of accumulation operations is a time at a middle point of a start time of the predetermined period and an end time of the predetermined period.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8 , wherein the first transfer transistors of the plurality of pixels are turned on at the same time at the start time.

10. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein timings that the second transfer transistors of the plurality of pixels transfer the charge from the holding unit to the amplifier transistor are the same in the first frame period and the second frame period.

11. An imaging device comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including:

a photoelectric conversion unit that generates charge according to incident light;

a holding unit that holds the charge;

an amplifier transistor that outputs a signal based on the charge;

a first transfer transistor that transfers the charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit; and

a second transfer transistor that transfers the charge from the holding unit to the amplifier transistor,

wherein:

in a first frame period among a plurality of frame periods of acquiring a plurality of images included in a moving image, charge generated in a first exposure period is accumulated,

in a second frame period following the first frame period, charge generated in a second exposure period with a length of a period different from the first exposure period is accumulated,

an interval between a temporal center of the first exposure period and a temporal center of the second exposure period is equal to an interval between a temporal center of the first frame period and a temporal center of the second frame period,

an operation of turning on from off the first transfer transistor and subsequently turning off the first transfer transistor again is repeated for a plurality of times in each of the plurality of pixels to transfer the charge generated in one of the first exposure period and the second exposure period from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit in a plurality of parts, and

an operation of lastly turning off the first transfer transistor in the plurality of times of the operation of the first transfer transistor ends one of the first exposure period and the second exposure period.

12. The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein,

in the first frame period, the first transfer transistor transfers the charge generated in the first exposure period from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit at the same time in the plurality of pixels,

in the second frame period, the second transfer transistor transfers the charge generated in the first exposure period from the holding unit to the amplifier transistor sequentially in the plurality of pixels, and

in the second frame period, the amplifier transistor outputs signal based on the charge accumulated in the first exposure period sequentially in the plurality of pixels.

13. The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein,

each of the plurality of pixels further includes an overflow transistor that discharges charge from the photoelectric conversion unit, and

the overflow transistors of the plurality of pixels are turned off at the same time to start one of the first exposure period and the second exposure period.

14. The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein the first transfer transistors of the plurality of pixels are turned off at the same time to end one of the first exposure period and the second exposure period.

15. The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein,

in parallel with the operation of accumulating the charge generated by the incident light by the photoelectric conversion units of the plurality of pixels in part of the second exposure period,

the second transfer transistors sequentially transfer the charge generated in the first exposure period and held by the holding units to the amplifier transistors in the plurality of pixels, and

the amplifier transistors sequentially output signals based on the charge in the plurality of pixels.

16. An imaging device comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including:

a photoelectric conversion unit that generates charge according to incident light;

a holding unit that holds the charge;

an amplifier transistor that outputs a signal based on the charge;

a first transfer transistor that transfers the charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit; and

a second transfer transistor that transfers the charge from the holding unit to the amplifier transistor,

wherein:

in a first frame period among a plurality of frame periods of acquiring a plurality of images included in a moving image, charge generated in a first exposure period is accumulated,

in a second frame period following the first frame period, charge generated in a second exposure period with a length of a period different from the first exposure period is accumulated,

an interval between a temporal center of the first exposure period and a temporal center of the second exposure period is equal to an interval between a temporal center of the first frame period and a temporal center of the second frame period,

each of the plurality of pixels further includes an overflow transistor that discharges charge from the photoelectric conversion unit,

an operation of turning off from on the overflow transistors of the plurality of pixels at the same time and subsequently turning on the overflow transistors again at the same time is repeated for a plurality of times to divide one exposure period into a plurality of periods, and

an operation of firstly turning off the overflow transistors in the plurality of times of the operation of the overflow transistors starts one of the first exposure period and the second exposure period.

17. The imaging device according to claim 16 , wherein,

in the first frame period, the first transfer transistor transfers the charge generated in the first exposure period from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit at the same time in the plurality of pixels,

in the second frame period, the second transfer transistor transfers the charge generated in the first exposure period from the holding unit to the amplifier transistor sequentially in the plurality of pixels, and

in the second frame period, the amplifier transistor outputs signal based on the charge accumulated in the first exposure period sequentially in the plurality of pixels.

18. The imaging device according to claim 16 , wherein,

in parallel with the operation of accumulating the charge generated by the incident light by the photoelectric conversion units of the plurality of pixels in part of the second exposure period,

the second transfer transistors sequentially transfer the charge generated in the first exposure period and held by the holding units to the amplifier transistors in the plurality of pixels, and

the amplifier transistors sequentially output signals based on the charge in the plurality of pixels.