IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,688,755
Granted Patent B2
US 11,688,755 · App. 17/693,521 · Granted Jun 27, 2023

Photoelectric conversion device, substrate, and equipment comprising a circuit to determine an internal temperature of the photoelectric conversion device based on a current following in a resistive element

Inventor: Hideo Kobayashi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
H01L27/14643H01L27/14609H03M1/12H04N25/60H04N25/75
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,688,755
App. No.
17/693,521
Granted
Jun 27, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A photoelectric conversion device includes a light receiving circuit configured to convert light into an electrical signal, a first hold circuit configured to hold a data signal which represents the electrical signal, a second hold circuit configured to hold a noise signal read out from the light receiving circuit in a reset state, a first resistive element to which a voltage corresponding to a difference between the data signal held by the first hold circuit and the noise signal held by the second hold circuit is applied, an A/D converter configured to convert an analog current flowing in the first resistive element into digital data, a second resistive element, and a temperature detection circuit configured to generate, based on a current flowing in the second resistive element, an analog output corresponding to an internal temperature of the photoelectric conversion device.

Claims (69)

1. A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

a light receiving circuit configured to convert light into an electrical signal;

a first hold circuit configured to hold a data signal which represents the electrical signal converted from the light;

a second hold circuit configured to hold a noise signal read out from the light receiving circuit in a reset state;

a first resistive element to which a voltage corresponding to a difference between the data signal held by the first hold circuit and the noise signal held by the second hold circuit is applied;

an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter configured to convert an analog current flowing in the first resistive element into digital data;

a second resistive element; and

a temperature detection circuit configured to generate, based on a current flowing in the second resistive element, an analog output corresponding to an internal temperature of the photoelectric conversion device.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the A/D converter is a ΔΣ A/D converter, and

the analog output generated by the temperature detection circuit changes a gain of the ΔΣ A/D converter.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the analog current flowing in the first resistive element is a first analog current,

the ΔΣ A/D converter comprises:

a subtractor to which the first analog current is supplied;

an integrator configured to integrate an output from the subtractor;

a quantizer configured to quantize an integration result obtained by the integrator;

a decimation filter configured to perform decimation processing on an output from the quantizer; and

a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter configured to supply a second analog current corresponding to the output from the quantizer to the subtractor, wherein the second analog current is subtracted from the first analog current,

the D/A converter comprises a current generation circuit configured to generate the second analog current, and

a value of the second analog current generated by the current generation circuit with respect to the same output from the quantizer changes based on the analog output generated by the temperature detection circuit.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first resistive element and the second resistive element are made of the same material.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first resistive element and the second resistive element are formed on the same substrate.

6. An equipment comprising:

a photoelectric conversion device defined in claim 1 ; and at least one of

an optical device corresponding to 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 acquired by the photoelectric conversion device;

a storage device configured to store the information acquired by the photoelectric conversion device; or

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

7. A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

a light receiving circuit configured to convert light into an electrical signal;

a first hold circuit configured to hold a data signal which represents the electrical signal converted from the light;

a second hold circuit configured to hold a noise signal read out from the light receiving circuit in a reset state;

a resistive element to which a voltage corresponding to a difference between the data signal held by the first hold circuit and the noise signal held by the second hold circuit is applied;

an A/D converter configured to convert an analog current flowing in the resistive element into digital data;

a temperature detection circuit configured to generate an analog output corresponding to an internal temperature of the photoelectric conversion device; and

a processing circuit configured to estimate, based on the analog output, an internal temperature of the photoelectric conversion device.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the processing circuit changes a gain of the A/D converter based on the estimated internal temperature.

9. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the processing circuit corrects the digital data based on the estimated internal temperature.

10. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the processing circuit outputs the estimated internal temperature to an external device.

11. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the photoelectric conversion device comprises an A/D converter configured to generate digital data from the analog output generated by the temperature detection circuit, and

the processing circuit estimates the internal temperature of the photoelectric conversion device based on the digital data corresponding to the analog output.

12. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the resistive element is a first resistive element,

the photoelectric conversion device further comprises a second resistive element, and

the temperature detection circuit generates the analog output based on a current flowing in the second resistive element.

13. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the temperature detection circuit includes an optical black pixel circuit, and

the analog output generated by the temperature detection circuit is based on an output from the optical black pixel circuit.

14. An equipment comprising:

a photoelectric conversion device defined in claim 7 ; and at least one of

an optical device corresponding to 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 acquired by the photoelectric conversion device;

a storage device configured to store the information acquired by the photoelectric conversion device; or

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

15. A substrate to be stacked on a substrate on which a light receiving circuit configured to convert light into an electrical signal is arranged, comprising:

a first hold circuit configured to hold a data signal which represents the electrical signal converted from the light;

a second hold circuit configured to hold a noise signal read out from the light receiving circuit in a reset state;

a first resistive element to which a voltage corresponding to a difference between the data signal held by the first hold circuit and the noise signal held by the second hold circuit is applied;

an A/D converter configured to convert an analog current flowing in the first resistive element into digital data;

a second resistive element; and

a temperature detection circuit configured to generate, based on a current flowing in the second resistive element, an analog output corresponding to an internal temperature of a photoelectric conversion device.

16. A substrate to be stacked on a substrate on which a light receiving circuit configured to convert light into an electrical signal is arranged, comprising:

a first hold circuit configured to hold a data signal which represents the electrical signal converted from the light;

a second hold circuit configured to hold a noise signal read out from the light receiving circuit in a reset state;

a resistive element to which a voltage corresponding to a difference between the data signal held by the first hold circuit and the noise signal held by the second hold circuit is applied;

an A/D converter configured to convert an analog current flowing in the resistive element into digital data;

a temperature detection circuit configured to generate an analog output corresponding to an internal temperature of a photoelectric conversion device; and

a processing circuit configured to estimate, based on the analog output, the internal temperature of the photoelectric conversion device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2022
From: KOBAYASHI, HIDEO
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 059632/0400 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-045157 · Mar 18, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220302199A1 · Sep 22, 2022
Cited By (7)
US 12,356,102 US 12,407,955 US 12,418,738 US 12,538,050 US 12,666,175 US 12,696,009 US 12,750,606