IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,284,032
Granted Patent B2
US 11,284,032 · App. 16/433,088 · Granted Mar 22, 2022

Imaging device, semiconductor device and camera

Inventors: Masahito Shinohara (Tokyo, JP); Tomoya Kumagai (Tokyo, JP); Takanori Yamashita (Hachioji, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
H04N5/378H04N5/357H04N5/379H04N5/3765
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,284,032
App. No.
16/433,088
Granted
Mar 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging device includes a pixel circuit configured to generate an analog signal; an amplification circuit including a feedback capacitor and its reset switching element; a sample and hold circuit for the amplified analog signal; an A/D conversion circuit for the analog signal held in the sample and hold circuit; a memory circuit configured to store the digital signal; a reading circuit configured to read the digital signal stored in the memory circuit; and a control circuit configured to perform a rise and a fall of the control signal such that the rise and the fall do not overlap a conversion period of the analog signal by the A/D conversion circuit and do not overlap a reading period of the digital signal by the reading circuit, when the switching element is off during a sampling period of the analog signal.

Claims (46)

1. An imaging device comprising:

a pixel circuit configured to generate an analog signal in accordance with a quantity of incident light;

an amplification circuit including a feedback capacitor and a switching element for resetting the feedback capacitor, the amplification circuit being configured to amplify the analog signal generated in the pixel circuit;

a sample and hold circuit configured to perform sampling and holding of the analog signal amplified by the amplification circuit;

an A/D conversion circuit configured to convert the analog signal held in the sample and hold circuit to a digital signal;

a memory circuit configured to store the digital signal;

a reading circuit configured to read the digital signal stored in the memory circuit; and

a control circuit configured to generate a control signal for controlling on/off of the switching element,

wherein the control circuit performs a rise and a fall of the control signal such that the rise and the fall do not overlap a conversion period of the analog signal by the A/D conversion circuit and do not overlap a reading period of the digital signal by the reading circuit, when the switching element is off during a sampling period of the analog signal, and

wherein the control circuit performs the rise of the control signal before the conversion period and performs the fall of the control signal after the conversion period and before the reading period, when the switching element is off during the sampling period of the analog signal.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the A/D conversion circuit performs A/D conversion using a reference signal and a counter; and the conversion period of the A/D conversion circuit is an enable period of the counter.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the A/D conversion circuit performs A/D conversion using a reference signal and a counter; and the conversion period of the A/D conversion circuit is a period in which the reference signal changes with time.

4. A camera comprising:

the imaging device according to claim 1 ; and

a signal processing unit configured to process a signal obtained by the imaging device.

5. An imaging device comprising:

a pixel circuit configured to generate an analog signal in accordance with a quantity of incident light;

an amplification circuit including a feedback capacitor and a switching element for resetting the feedback capacitor, the amplification circuit being configured to amplify the analog signal generated in the pixel circuit;

a sample and hold circuit configured to perform sampling and holding of the analog signal amplified by the amplification circuit;

an A/D conversion circuit configured to convert the analog signal held in the sample and hold circuit to a digital signal;

a memory circuit configured to store the digital signal;

a reading circuit configured to read the digital signal stored in the memory circuit; and

a control circuit configured to generate a control signal for controlling on/off of the switching element,

wherein the control circuit performs a rise and a fall of the control signal such that the rise and the fall do not overlap a conversion period of the analog signal by the A/D conversion circuit and do not overlap a reading period of the digital signal by the reading circuit, when the switching element is off during a sampling period of the analog signal, and

wherein the control circuit performs the rise and the fall of the control signal after the conversion period and before the reading period when the switching element is off during the sampling period of the analog signal.

6. A camera comprising:

the imaging device according to claim 5 ; and

a signal processing unit configured to process a signal obtained by the imaging device.

7. A semiconductor device for lamination comprising:

an amplification circuit including a feedback capacitor and a switching element for resetting the feedback capacitor, the amplification circuit being configured to amplify an analog signal generated in response to a photoelectric conversion;

a sample and hold circuit configured to perform sampling and holding of the analog signal amplified by the amplification circuit;

an A/D conversion circuit configured to convert the analog signal held in the sample and hold circuit to a digital signal;

a memory circuit configured to store the digital signal;

a reading circuit configured to read the digital signal stored in the memory circuit; and

a control circuit configured to generate a control signal for controlling on/off of the switching element,

wherein the control circuit performs a rise and a fall of the control signal such that the rise and the fall do not overlap each of a conversion period of the analog signal by the A/D conversion circuit and a reading period of the digital signal by the reading circuit when the switching element is off during a sampling period of the analog signal, and

wherein the control circuit performs the rise of the control signal before the conversion period and performs the fall of the control signal after the conversion period and before the reading period, when the switching element is off during the sampling period of the analog signal.

8. A semiconductor device for lamination comprising:

an amplification circuit including a feedback capacitor and a switching element for resetting the feedback capacitor, the amplification circuit being configured to amplify an analog signal generated in response to a photoelectric conversion;

a sample and hold circuit configured to perform sampling and holding of the analog signal amplified by the amplification circuit;

an A/D conversion circuit configured to convert the analog signal held in the sample and hold circuit to a digital signal;

a memory circuit configured to store the digital signal;

a reading circuit configured to read the digital signal stored in the memory circuit; and

a control circuit configured to generate a control signal for controlling on/off of the switching element,

wherein the control circuit performs a rise and a fall of the control signal such that the rise and the fall do not overlap each of a conversion period of the analog signal by the A/D conversion circuit and a reading period of the digital signal by the reading circuit when the switching element is off during a sampling period of the analog signal, and

wherein the control circuit performs the rise and the fall of the control signal after the conversion period and before the reading period when the switching element is off during the sampling period of the analog signal.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 8, 2019
From: SHINOHARA, MASAHITO; KUMAGAI, TOMOYA; YAMASHITA, TAKANORI
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 050649/0151 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-111247 · Jun 11, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190379850A1 · Dec 12, 2019
Cited By (3)
US 12,335,651 US 12,389,139 US 12,739,526