Abstract: In an amplifying type MOS sensor having a 3-transistor construction, when a frame rate is raised, an accumulation time of a frame just after the switching of a drive mode becomes short. When a gain correction is made to compensate a lack of accumulation time, a deterioration in picture quality is caused. A read out scan and a reset scan are executed in parallel in the frame before the switching of the drive mode, thereby preventing that a time period for resetting a pixel is overlapped with a time period for holding a pixel signal into a holding unit.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes: a plurality of pixels generating pixel signals; color filters above the photoelectric conversion elements; a row selecting unit for selecting a plurality of rows of the pixels; a signal line receiving the pixel signal from the pixels of the row selected by the row selecting unit; a plurality of capacitors for accumulating the pixel signal outputted to the signal line; and a plurality of selecting switches connected between the signal line and the plurality of capacitors. During a first adding operation, the row selecting unit adds pixel signals accumulated in a part of the capacitors on the signal line. And, during a second adding operation, the row selecting unit adds pixel signals accumulated in other part of the capacitors with the pixel signals from the pixels of a row different from the row of which pixel signals are added in the first adding operation.

Abstract: To provide a configuration including a fully differential amplifier in which decrease in a reading speed can be suppressed. A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to the present invention includes a pixel area where a plurality of pixels are arranged; an amplifier configured to amplify a signal from the pixel area; a plurality of signal paths for transmitting the signals from the pixel area to the amplifier. The amplifier is a fully differential amplifier which includes a plurality of input terminals including a first input terminal and a second input terminal to which the signals from the plurality of signal paths are supplied and a plurality of output terminals including a first output terminal and a second output terminal and the input terminals and the output terminals have no feedback path provided therebetween.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes a reading unit having a plurality of pixels connected thereto, holding signals from the pixels, and a control unit capable of controlling operations of the pixels and reading unit. The control unit controls the pixels and reading unit in a first operation mode without addition, in a second operation mode in which signals from aa of the pixels are added, aa being an integer greater than one, and in a third operation mode in which signals from bb of the pixels are added, bb being an integer greater than aa. The reading unit includes a holding unit having a capacitance value of C, and the holding unit includes a first capacitor having a capacitance value of C/bb and a second capacitor having a capacitance value of C/p, p being a common multiple of aa and bb.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device comprises a plurality of pixels, a driving supplemental element, a signal line to which the plurality of pixels and the driving supplemental element are connected, a driving unit which drives the plurality of pixels and the driving supplemental element, and an output circuit which processes a signal output to the signal line from a readout pixel selected by the driving unit and outputs the processed signal, each of the plurality of pixels including a first charge-voltage converter, a first reset unit which resets the first charge-voltage converter, and a first output unit which outputs a signal corresponding to a voltage of the first charge-voltage converter, the driving supplemental element including a second charge-voltage converter, a second reset unit which resets the second charge-voltage converter, and a second output unit which outputs a signal corresponding to a voltage of the second charge-voltage converter.

Abstract: It is intended to obtain a high quality image which is not affected by the fluctuation of dark outputs, and pixels having a specifically large dark output, called defects, and has no lateral line etc. A solid-state image pickup apparatus including: an aperture pixel region which accumulates and outputs the electric charges generated depending on incident light; a light shielded optical black region; a black reference pixel region in which no impurity region for accumulating electric charges is formed; and level shifting means which shifts the reference level of the output signals of the black reference pixel region with respect to the reference levels of the output signals of the aperture pixel region and the optical black region, is provided.

Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit which converts incident light into an electrical signal and accumulates the electrical signal, an amplifier transistor which amplifies and outputs the signal from the photoelectric conversion unit, a transfer transistor which transfers the electrical signal accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit to the amplifier transistor, and a processing transistor which performs predetermined processing, and a control circuit which sets the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the transfer transistor in order to turn off the transfer transistor to be lower than the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the processing transistor in order to turn off the processing transistor.

Abstract: The output voltages of dark pixels and optical black (OB) pixels are different between a row including a pixel which receives strong light and another row. An image formed upon receiving a strong light spot suffers whitish bands on the right and left of the spot. To solve this problem, this invention provides an image pickup apparatus including a pixel containing a photodiode which converts a photo-signal into a signal charge and accumulates the signal charge and an amplifier transistor which amplifies the signal charge accumulated in the photodiode, and a control element adapted to limit the output of the amplifier transistor so as to prevent the output from falling to below a predetermined voltage.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to provide a solid-state imaging apparatus and a method of driving the solid-state imaging apparatus. If the total read out time of all of the pixels is shortened when effective pixels are thinned out to be read out without thinning out OB pixels, then the reset time period of each row is different from each other, and the problem of uneven charge accumulation time periods is caused. An improvement by the present invention is that, if no signals are read out from a part of the rows of the pixels in an effective pixel region to skip the rows, then the time period in which the rows to be skipped are selected is made to be shorter than the time period in which the rows from which signals are read out are selected, and the pixels in the optical black pixel region and the pixels in the effective pixel region are driven by the drive pulses of patterns different from each other.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes an effective pixel portion in which effective pixels are arranged in a matrix, the effective pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit and outputting a first signal, a non-effective pixel portion in which non-effective pixels are arranged in at least one row, the non-effective pixels each including no photoelectric conversion unit and outputting a second signal, a vertical scanning unit for selecting each row of pixels in the effective and non-effective pixel portions, and an input section for externally receiving a third signal used to change a driving mode of the solid-state image pickup device. The vertical scanning unit begins electronic shutter scanning upon pixels in the effective pixel portion and causes each of pixels in the non-effective pixel portion to output the second signal after the input section has received the third signal and before the first signal is output.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device formed on a single semiconductor substrate, including: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; a read-out circuit including a switch for reading out analog signals from the photoelectric conversion elements; a buffer circuit for driving the switch; and a logic circuit for processing digital signals. A first semiconductor area to which a ground level for the buffer circuit is supplied and a second semiconductor area to which a ground level for the logic circuit is supplied are electrically separated from each other.

Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit which converts incident light into an electrical signal and accumulates the electrical signal, an amplifier transistor which amplifies and outputs the signal from the photoelectric conversion unit, a transfer transistor which transfers the electrical signal accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit to the amplifier transistor, and a processing transistor which performs predetermined processing, and a control circuit which sets the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the transfer transistor in order to turn off the transfer transistor to be lower than the signal level supplied to the control electrode of the processing transistor in order to turn off the processing transistor.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensing device comprises a first readout circuit configured to read out a signal from a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, a signal holding unit configured to hold the signal read out from the first readout circuit, a second readout circuit configured to read out the signal held in the signal holding unit, and a current control unit configured to control an electric current flowing through at least part of the first readout circuit while the first readout circuit reads out the signal. The current control unit controls an electric current flowing through the at least part of the first readout circuit in a moving image capturing mode to be smaller than an electric current flowing through the at least part of the first readout circuit in a still image capturing mode.

Abstract: A signal processing device is provided which is capable of suppressing a voltage change of a power supply when output signals from a plurality of signal sources are read, and capable of outputting a stable signal at a high sensitivity, and an image pickup apparatus using such a signal processing device is also provided. The signal processing device has: a plurality of terminals connectable to a plurality of signal sources; and a read circuit for converting signals input from the terminals into serial signals and outputting the serial signals, wherein: the read circuit comprises a holding capacitor connected to each of the terminals, a transfer switch for transferring a signal held in the holding capacitor to a common signal line, and a shift register for driving the transfer switch; and a semiconductor layer under the common signal line has a conductivity type opposite to a first conductivity type of a semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for photoelectrically converting light from an object, a first output line to which signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are successively outputted, a plurality of first switches connected to the first output line to output the signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements to the first output line, a second output line to which a reference signal is supplied, a plurality of second switches connected to the second output line to supply the reference signal to the second output line, a scanning circuit which controls the plurality of first switches and the plurality of second switches, and a differential circuit which obtains a difference between the signal from the first output line and the signal from the second output line.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device prevents a pseudo signal caused by the parasitic capacitance of a transfer switch from being input to an amplifier. A photoelectric conversion device (50) includes a pixel (10) which outputs a signal to a signal line (107), an amplifier which amplifies the signal supplied via the signal line (107), and an isolation switch (121) inserted between a signal line (108) and the input node of the amplifier. The pixel (10) includes a photodiode, a floating diffusion (FD), a transfer switch which transfers the charge of the photodiode to the FD, and an amplification transistor which outputs a signal to a signal line (109) in accordance with the potential of the FD. The isolation switch (121) is turned off at least in a period when a transfer pulse for controlling the transfer switch of the pixel (10) transits.

Abstract: To provide a configuration including a fully differential amplifier in which decrease in a reading speed can be suppressed. A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to the present invention includes a pixel area where a plurality of pixels are arranged; an amplifier configured to amplify a signal from the pixel area; a plurality of signal paths for transmitting the signals from the pixel area to the amplifier. The amplifier is a fully differential amplifier which includes a plurality of input terminals including a first input terminal and a second input terminal to which the signals from the plurality of signal paths are supplied and a plurality of output terminals including a first output terminal and a second output terminal and the input terminals and the output terminals have no feedback path provided therebetween.

Abstract: It is intended to obtain a high quality image which is not affected by the fluctuation of dark outputs, and pixels having a specifically large dark output, called defects, and has no lateral line etc. A solid-state image pickup apparatus including: an aperture pixel region which accumulates and outputs the electric charges generated depending on incident light; a light shielded optical black region; a black reference pixel region in which no impurity region for accumulating electric charges is formed; and level shifting means which shifts the reference level of the output signals of the black reference pixel region with respect to the reference levels of the output signals of the aperture pixel region and the optical black region, is provided.

Abstract: The present invention is mainly aimed at obtaining excellent sensor output free from periodic fixed pattern noise even if the pieces of holding capacity are converted into blocks, and the specific solution unit is described below. The signal readout unit includes: a line memory; first switches each connected to a holding capacity; a first common signal line comprising eight switches connected together; and second switches for connecting the first common signal line to the second common signal line. The control unit controls opening/closing of both switches. Between the electrode of the second switch and the second common signal line, there is provided outgoing wiring. From the control unit, control wiring a1 . . . , b1 . . . is connected to the first switch. To each wiring a1 . . . , b1 . . . , a pair of a positive signal and an anti-signal in which the logical level has been reversed with respect to each other is supplied respectively. Each wiring a1 . . . , b1 . . .

Abstract: The present invention is mainly aimed at obtaining excellent sensor output free from periodic fixed pattern noise even if the pieces of holding capacity are converted into blocks, and the specific solution unit is described below. The signal readout unit includes: a line memory; first switches each connected to a holding capacity; a first common signal line comprising eight switches connected together; and second switches for connecting the first common signal line to the second common signal line. The control unit controls opening/closing of both switches. Between the electrode of the second switch and the second common signal line, there is provided outgoing wiring. From the control unit, control wiring a1 . . . , b1 . . . is connected to the first switch. To each wiring a1 . . . , b1 . . . , a pair of a positive signal and an anti-signal in which the logical level has been reversed with respect to each other is supplied respectively. Each wiring a1 . . . , b1 . . .