Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes unit cells, arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, each having a photodiode for photoelectrically converting incident light to store signal charges, a readout transistor Td for reading out the signal charges and amplifying transistor Tb for amplifying signals readout at a detection node, a plurality of vertical shift registers for generating signal charge readout pulses ESi, DRi, ROi and a voltage switching circuit for setting a voltage VDR of the readout pulse DRi for dynamic range control lower than voltages of both a readout pulse ESi for an electronic shutter and a usual readout pulse ROi. The solid-state imaging device provides excellent images without clipping from a small signal region to large signal region.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device comprises an image pickup unit having unit cells including opto-electrical converter elements, said unit cells being disposed in a two-dimensional array, a selection line made of polysilicon for selectively determining the unit cells in the same row within the image pickup unit, a read-out line made of polysilicon for reading out an electric charge accumulated in the opto-electrical converter elements of the unit cells in the same row within the image pickup unit, a signal line transmitting pixel signals produced from the unit cells in the same row within the image pickup unit, a reset line made of polysilicon for discharging the unit cells in the same row within the image pickup unit down to a desired voltage level, a driver circuit located on one side of the image pickup unit for supplying drive signals to the read-out line, the selection line, and the reset line, respectively, and a read-out auxiliary wiring disposed along at least the read-out line and electrically connected t

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprising an array of unit cells, vertical signal lines, and a control circuit. The unit cells are arranged in rows and columns. Each unit cell has a light-receiving device for receiving light and generating an electric charge corresponding to the light, a charge-accumulating section for accumulating the electric charge generated by the light-receiving device, a transfer device for transferring the electric charge from the light-receiving device to the charge-accumulating section, and a charge-limiting device for limiting the electric charge accumulated in the charge-accumulating section. The vertical signal lines extend along the columns of unit cells, respectively, each for receiving a electric data item corresponding to the electric charge accumulated in the charge-accumulating section of any unit cell of the associated column.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a solid-state imaging device which discharges a signal from a photodiode in each cell in which the photodiode, a read gate reading a signal from the photodiode and a detector detecting a read signal are two-dimensionally arranged on a semiconductor substrate, then stores a signal in each photodiode, and reads a signal from each photodiode after a storage time. The device comprises a circuit performing an operation of applying to each corresponding cell a first pulse used to discharge a signal in each photodiode corresponding to one horizontal line for a plurality of horizontal lines in a first horizontal scanning period, and an operation of applying to each diode corresponding cell a second pulse used to read a signal in each photodiode corresponding to one horizontal lines for a plurality of horizontal lines in a second horizontal scanning period.

Abstract: In a solid state image sensor device comprising a cell area wherein unit cells each having photoelectric diodes are arranged in a matrix form on a semiconductor substrate, the cell area being composed of a photo-sensitive pixel region for sensing an image, and an optical black pixel region for defining an optical black level, and a vertical shift register for selecting the unit cells of the image sensing cell array, in a group along each of horizontal lines, and vertical signal lines, each of which reads each of signals from the unit cells selected by turning on an address register by means of the vertical shift register, the vertical signal lines in the optical black pixel region are connected with each other through a wiring.

Abstract: A solid state image sensor includes an imaging circuit, a selection circuit, a signal line and an adjustment circuit. The imaging circuit has a plurality of unit cells including a photo-detection section and a first reference potential generating section which generates a first reference potential. The selection circuit selects the unit cell. The signal line is supplied with a signal potential corresponding to a signal charge from the unit cell in a read-out operation, and supplied with the first reference potential in a reset operation. The adjustment circuit operates in response to an adjustment instruction signal which is asserted in an adjustment operation following the reset operation, and applies a second reference potential to the signal line in accordance with a potential of the signal line.

Abstract: In a CMOS image sensor, current leakage after a series of noise removing operations has been completed is suppressed in a read operation for each horizontal line, thereby suppressing image noise occurring on the output display screen of the image sensor. There are provided signal storage regions for storing the signals read from the unit cells in the same row selected in the imaging area onto vertical signal lines and horizontal select transistors for sequentially selecting and reading the signals stored in the individual signal storage regions and transferring them to read horizontal signal lines. At least in the period during which the signals are read from the signal storage regions, one of the drain and source of the transistor electrically connected to the signal path between the vertical signal line and horizontal signal line is biased in the reverse direction with respect to the substrate region. Two adjacent ones of the horizontal select transistors form a pair.

Abstract: In a CMOS image sensor, current leakage after a series of noise removing operations has been completed is suppressed in a read operation for each horizontal line, thereby suppressing image noise occurring on the output display screen of the image sensor. There are provided signal storage regions for storing the signals read from the unit cells in the same row selected in the imaging area onto vertical signal lines and horizontal select transistors for sequentially selecting and reading the signals stored in the individual signal storage regions and transferring them to read horizontal signal lines. At least in the period during which the signals are read from the signal storage regions, one of the drain and source of the transistor electrically connected to the signal path between the vertical signal line and horizontal signal line is biased in the reverse direction with respect to the substrate region. Two adjacent ones of the horizontal select transistors form a pair.

Abstract: In a CMOS image sensor, current leakage after a series of noise removing operations has been completed is suppressed in a read operation for each horizontal line, thereby suppressing image noise occurring on the output display screen of the image sensor. There are provided signal storage regions for storing the signals read from the unit cells in the same row selected in the imaging area onto vertical signal lines and horizontal select transistors for sequentially selecting and reading the signals stored in the individual signal storage regions and transferring them to read horizontal signal lines. At least in the period during which the signals are read from the signal storage regions, one of the drain and source of the transistor electrically connected to the signal path between the vertical signal line and horizontal signal line is biased in the reverse direction with respect to the substrate region. Two adjacent ones of the horizontal select transistors form a pair.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device, comprises an image pickup unit having unit cells including opto-electrical converter elements, said unit cells being disposed in two-dimensional array, a selection line made of polysilicon for selectively determining the unit cells in the same row within the image pickup unit, a read-out line made of polysilicon for reading out electric charge accumulated in the opto-electrical converter elements of the unit cells in the same row within the image pickup unit, a signal line transmitting pixel signals produced from the unit cells in the same row within the image pickup unit, a reset line made of polysilicon for discharging the unit cells in the same row within the image pickup unit down to the desired voltage level, a driver circuit located on one side of the image pickup unit for supplying drive signals to the read-out line, the selection line, and the reset line, respectively, and a read-out auxiliary wiring disposed along at least the read-out line and electrically connected to

Abstract: In a sampling tube-type smoke detector equipped with a smoke detection device detects smoke particles contained in the air suctioned from a monitored area through a sampling tube by an aspirator positioned in the downstream. The smoke detection device the sampling tube forms a lead-in tube and suctions air through the sampling tube in an almost straight line. The lead-in tube is formed with a smoke sensor unit to detect smoke particles contained in the air. The aspirator comprises a rotating part which forms an actuator mechanism that discharges the air. The central axis of the lead-in tube and the rotational axis of the actuator mechanism of the aspirator are almost the same axle. The sampling tube-type smoke detector is provided to reduce pressure loss in the airflow traveling from the smoke detection device to the aspirator and to supply a low cost, compact smoke detection device driven by a small-sized fan.

Abstract: A solid state image sensor includes an imaging circuit, a selection circuit, a signal line and an adjustment circuit. The imaging circuit has a plurality of unit cells including a photo-detection section and a first reference potential generating section which generates a first reference potential. The selection circuit selects the unit cell. The signal line is supplied with a signal potential corresponding to a signal charge from the unit cell in a read-out operation, and supplied with the first reference potential in a reset operation. The adjustment circuit operates in response to an adjustment instruction signal which is asserted in an adjustment operation following the reset operation, and applies a second reference potential to the signal line in accordance with a potential of the signal line.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device with a variable (continuous) electronic shutter function comprises an imaging area where unit cells with photodiodes acting as pixels are arranged two-dimensionally, read lines for driving the read transistors in each pixel row, vertical selection lines for driving the vertical selection transistors in each pixel row, a vertical driving circuit for selectively driving vertical selection lines, vertical signal lines for outputting the signal from each unit cell in the pixel rows driven sequentially, and a row selection circuit for controlling the vertical driving circuit in such a manner that the vertical driving circuit drives the read transistors in each pixel row with the desired signal storage timing and signal read timing twice in that order and thereby drives the vertical selection transistors in the pixel row in synchronization with the signal read timing.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes unit cells, arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, each having a photodiode for photoelectrically converting incident light to store signal charges, a readout transistor Td for reading out the signal charges and amplifying transistor Tb for amplifying signals readout at a detection node, a plurality of vertical shift registers for generating signal charge readout pulses ESi, DRi, ROi and a voltage switching circuit for setting a voltage VDR of the readout pulse DRi for dynamic range control lower than voltages of both a readout pulse ESi for an electronic shutter and a usual readout pulse ROi. The solid-state imaging device provides excellent images without clipping from a small signal region to large signal region.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus which effects an electronic shutter operation comprises a solid-state imaging device made up of a plurality of photosensitive pixels arranged in a matrix on a semiconductor substrate, a driving circuit for driving the solid-state imaging device and also controlling the photoelectric conversion time of the photosensitive pixel, a vertical CCD for clipping a first signal obtained during a longer photoelectric conversion time in the solid-state imaging device, at a specified level or above, and then adding the clipped signal to a second signal obtained during a shorter photoelectric conversion time, and a signal processing circuit for amplifying and outputting the added signal, and setting an amplification degree for the second signal to a value larger than an amplification factor for the first signal.

Abstract: An image signal processing apparatus has a fault correcting circuit for replacing a signal output by a fault pixel included in a solid-state image sensor with a signal output by a normal pixel arranged near the fault pixel to correct the fault pixel signal. The fault correcting circuit comprises a memory for storing a data code representing the position and type of the fault pixel, a decoder circuit for converting the data code read from the memory, into a pixel-fault correction pulse, a dividing/delay circuit for dividing a pixel signal output from the image sensor into a plurality of pixel signals and delaying these pixel signals by different delay times, and a switch circuit for selecting pixel signals delayed by different delay times, in accordance with the pixel-fault correction pulse, thereby to replace the fault pixel signal with the normal pixel signal.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is disclosed, which includes a CCD image sensor having a detection section formed on a substrate at its output stage. The detection section receives a signal charge transferred from a photosensitive cell section, and generates an image voltage signal corresponding to the signal charge. The detection section has an electrically floating semiconductor diffusion layer formed in the substrate. A packet of signal charges from each picture element cell is temporarily stored in the diffusion layer. A reset section is provided to the output stage of the image sensor. The reset section has a reset drain layer so formed in the substrate as to be located near the diffusion layer and a reset gate for controlling flow of charges between the diffusion layer and the reset drain layer. The reset control unit is connected to the reset gate. The reset control unit applies a normal reset pulse signal to the reset gate in a vertical effective period of the image sensor.

Abstract: A multilayered solid-state image sensor has a photoconductive film, which covers pixels formed on a substrate, and acts as a photoelectric converting section for the pixels. The photoconductive film inherently has traps. In an imaging mode of the image sensor, before signal charges are generated in a portion of the photoconductive film corresponding to each pixel upon irradiation of image light, sufficient bias charges to fill all the traps in the photoconductive film are injected into the photoconductive film. Subsequently, excess bias charges remaining in the photoconductive film are removed therefrom. Thus, the traps in the photoconductive film are effectively filled with the bias charges, thereby deactivating the photoconductive film.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensing device, such as an interline-transfer type charge-coupled device (IT-CCD), produces signal carriers in response to incident light and generates an image pickup signal. One frame of the image signal is formed of two fields. The CCD chip is coupled to fixed bimorph piezoelectric vibrators by which it is given a wobbling-swing drive during image pickup. This wobbling-swing drive is controlled by a vibration controller. This vibration controller controls the vibration mode of the bimorph piezoelectric elements to apply a first vibration (swing vibration) to the CCD such that each pixel cell is displaced to a different sampling position in the plurality of field periods included in one frame period for image pickup, and applying a second vibration, i.e., a swing vibration with wobbling superposed, to the CCD such that each pixel cell is wobbled while picking up an image in each sampling position, which is positioned in each field period.