Abstract: An image sensor comprises a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a row direction and a column direction. An A/D conversion circuit, arranged for each column, which compares an input signal with a ramp signal that changes with temporal unidirectionality, and converts the input signal into digital data.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus comprises an image sensing element having an image sensing unit configured to include an effective pixel area in which light is incident on arrayed pixels and a shading pixel area in which the arrayed pixels are shaded, analog-to-digital conversion units connected one-to-one to columns of the arrayed pixels, a feedback control unit configured to output, commonly on an input side of each of the analog-to-digital conversion units, an offset compensation signal for compensating for an amount of error between a reference value and an output signal of the shading pixel area output from at least one of the analog-to-digital conversion units, and offset compensation units arranged one-to-one on the input side of each of the analog-to-digital conversion units, and to compensate for offset by subtracting an output signal of the feedback control unit from an output signal of the effective pixel area.

Abstract: This invention includes an image sensor in which image forming pixels and focus detecting pixels which receive light beams from the exit pupil of the imaging lens which is partly light-shielded are arranged, the first vertical output line which outputs a signal from the image forming pixel in the vertical direction of the image sensor, a second vertical output line which outputs a signal from the focus detecting pixel in the vertical direction of the image sensor, a vertical addition unit which adds signals from a plurality of image forming pixels in the vertical direction, and a control unit which controls the vertical addition unit to add only signals from image forming pixels excluding focus detecting pixels, when the focus detecting pixels are included in targets for addition in the addition readout mode of making the vertical addition unit add signals from a plurality of image forming pixels.

Abstract: In an imaging mode for reading a part of a plurality of pixels, signals of same color adjacent pixels are simultaneously read out to capacities, and at least two capacities in a same pixel row are once short-circuited. Further, capacities of a plurality of the pixel rows are once short-circuited to perform operation for averaging the pixels in vertical and horizontal directions. With the configuration, it is possible to solve deterioration in image quality due to occurrence of moire caused by reduction in sampling frequency in a thinning reading operation mode capable of high-speed reading.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus is provided that is capable of obtaining a correction value effective for horizontal noise correction, while suppressing increase in chip area of an image pickup device. The image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device (101) for converting an object image into electrical signals, and a correcting section for correcting a picked-up image. The image pickup device includes a pixel signal readout circuit (204) for reading out pixel signals from a pixel region on a line-by-line basis via vertical signal lines, a dummy signal readout circuit (209) for reading out dummy signals, and a horizontal transfer circuit (205) for transferring outputs of the pixel signal readout circuit and the dummy signal readout circuit. The correcting section corrects the outputs of the pixel signal readout circuit on a line-by-line basis using the outputs of the dummy signal readout circuit.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus comprises: a pixel array; a driving unit; a readout unit which, when performing still image shooting parallel to movie shooting, reads out, in each of successive frame periods, first signals from a first pixel group, and reads out, over the successive frame periods, second signals of a first frame period from pixels of a second pixel group that are different from each other between the successive frame periods; and a generation unit which generates an image signal for a movie of one frame in each of the successive frame periods from the first signals read out in each of the successive frame periods, and also generates an image signal for a still image of one frame in the first frame period by composing the first signals read out in the first frame period and the second signals read out over the successive frame periods.

Abstract: An image sensor comprises a pixel array formed by arraying pixels in a column direction and a row direction; a column common readout unit provided for each pixel column in the pixel array; at least three readout channels which sequentially read signals from the column common readout units, respectively; and a readout channel selection unit which selects readout channels so that the signal is output from each of the column common readout units to a corresponding one of the at least three readout channels, wherein the readout channel selection unit selects readout channels, to which the signals are output from the column common readout units, in a predetermined pattern that varies in each individual row of the pixel array.

Abstract: In an imaging mode for reading a part of a plurality of pixels, signals of same color adjacent pixels are simultaneously read out to capacities, and at least two capacities in a same pixel row are once short-circuited. Further, capacities of a plurality of the pixel rows are once short-circuited to perform operation for averaging the pixels in vertical and horizontal directions. With the configuration, it is possible to solve deterioration in image quality due to occurrence of moire caused by reduction in sampling frequency in a thinning reading operation mode capable of high-speed reading.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus is provided that is capable of obtaining a correction value effective for horizontal noise correction, while suppressing increase in chip area of an image pickup device. The image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device (101) for converting an object image into electrical signals, and a correcting section for correcting a picked-up image. The image pickup device includes a pixel signal readout circuit (204) for reading out pixel signals from a pixel region on a line-by-line basis via vertical signal lines, a dummy signal readout circuit (209) for reading out dummy signals, and a horizontal transfer circuit (205) for transferring outputs of the pixel signal readout circuit and the dummy signal readout circuit. The correcting section corrects the outputs of the pixel signal readout circuit on a line-by-line basis using the outputs of the dummy signal readout circuit.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus comprises: a pixel array; a driving unit; a readout unit which, when performing still image shooting parallel to movie shooting, reads out, in each of successive frame periods, first signals from a first pixel group, and reads out, over the successive frame periods, second signals of a first frame period from pixels of a second pixel group that are different from each other between the successive frame periods; and a generation unit which generates an image signal for a movie of one frame in each of the successive frame periods from the first signals read out in each of the successive frame periods, and also generates an image signal for a still image of one frame in the first frame period by composing the first signals read out in the first frame period and the second signals read out over the successive frame periods.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus comprises an image sensing element having an image sensing unit configured to include an effective pixel area in which light is incident on arrayed pixels and a shading pixel area in which the arrayed pixels are shaded, analog-to-digital conversion units connected one-to-one to columns of the arrayed pixels, a feedback control unit configured to output, commonly on an input side of each of the analog-to-digital conversion units, an offset compensation signal for compensating for an amount of error between a reference value and an output signal of the shading pixel area output from at least one of the analog-to-digital conversion units, and offset compensation units arranged one-to-one on the input side of each of the analog-to-digital conversion units, and to compensate for offset by subtracting an output signal of the feedback control unit from an output signal of the effective pixel area.

Abstract: A camera system is disclosed, which comprises a camera having a vibration detection unit which detects vibration, and a vibration correction unit which is attachable to the camera and has a vibration correction optical system which corrects image vibration and a driving control circuit which drives the vibration correction optical system based on a vibration detection signal from the vibration detection unit. The camera intermittently transmits the vibration detection signal from the vibration detection unit and time-related data to the driving control circuit. The driving control circuit receives the vibration detection signal and the time-related data. The driving control circuit drives the vibration correction optical system based on a previously received vibration detection signal or a currently received vibration detection signal selected on the basis of the received time-related data.

Abstract: If photographing conditions such as the ISO speed or shutter speed or environmental conditions such as the ambient temperature require no dark image data during photography, an AF operation and AE operation are performed when a shutter switch SW1 is pressed, and photography is performed when a shutter switch SW2 is pressed after that, without performing any dark loading, in both single shot photography and continuous photography. In development, horizontal dark shading correction is performed using one-dimensional correction data. This one-dimensional correction data of one horizontal line for use in the horizontal dark shading correction is formed by performing a projective arithmetic operation for an image which is obtained by dark photography and stored in a nonvolatile memory 56 in a production process.

Abstract: A camera system is disclosed, which comprises a camera having a vibration detection unit which detects vibration, and a vibration correction unit which is attachable to the camera and has a vibration correction optical system which corrects image vibration and a driving control circuit which drives the vibration correction optical system based on a vibration detection signal from the vibration detection unit. The camera intermittently transmits the vibration detection signal from the vibration detection unit and time-related data to the driving control circuit. The driving control circuit receives the vibration detection signal and the time-related data. The driving control circuit drives the vibration correction optical system based on a previously received vibration detection signal or a currently received vibration detection signal selected on the basis of the received time-related data.