Image sensing apparatus, method and program for distance measurement
An image sensing apparatus of this invention includes a signal generator adapted to generate a signal upon reception of input light, a transfer unit adapted to transfer the signal generated by the signal generator, a temperature measuring unit adapted to measure a temperature, an amplification unit adapted to amplify the signal transferred from the transfer unit, and a control unit adapted to control the gain of the amplification unit at a first temperature to be lower that the gain of the amplification unit at a second temperature measuring unit, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature.
1. An image sensing apparatus comprising:
a signal generator adapted to generate a signal upon reception of input light;
a transfer unit adapted to transfer the signal generated by said signal generator;
a temperature measuring unit adapted to measure a temperature;
a signal measuring unit adapted to measure a signal amount;
an amplification unit adapted to amplify the signal transferred from said transfer unit; and
a control unit adapted to control to decrease a gain when a temperature measured by said temperature measuring unit is higher than a predetermined temperature, increase the gain when the temperature measured by said temperature measuring unit is lower than the predetermined temperature and the signal amount measured by said signal measuring unit is lower than a predetermined signal amount, and decrease the gain when the temperature measured by said temperature measuring unit is lower than the predetermined temperature and the signal amount measured by said signal measuring unit is higher than the predetermined signal amount,
wherein said predetermined temperature is set such that dark current of said amplification unit does not exceed a predetermined value.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a calculation unit adapted to calculate a correlation between at least two signals amplified by said amplification unit.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said signal generator comprises a plurality of light-receiving units adapted to receive object images and generates said at least two signals.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said transfer unit comprises at least two transfer units, and while said amplification unit amplifies a signal transferred from one transfer unit, said amplification unit does not amplify a signal transferred from the other transfer unit.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a light projection unit adapted to project light to an object, and said signal generator receives light reflected by the object and generates a signal upon ON/OFF operation of said light projection unit.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a skim unit adapted to remove a predetermined amount of charge from a charge transferred from said transfer unit.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said transfer unit comprises a charge transfer unit at least part of which is coupled in a ring shape.