Abstract: The present invention provides a imaging apparatus including a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels including: a photoelectric conversion unit; a charge accumulating unit; an amplifying unit, and a transfer electrode, wherein the solid-state imaging apparatus includes a light shielding portion covering the charge accumulating unit, and a connecting unit for electrically connecting the control electrode and the light shielding portion, and wherein the light shielding portion of the pixel in one row is electrically connected to the other light shielding portions of the other pixels in the same row and adjacent to the pixel in the one row, and is electrically insulated from other light shielding portions of pixels in rows different from the one row.

Abstract: In an image pickup device with A/D converters at each column signal line, improvements in the A/D conversion speed and accuracy in image sensors having A/D converters are achieved. In an image pickup device wherein sensing elements are arranged in a matrix and A/D converters are arranged for each column signal line, the A/D converter first retains in its memory unit as an initial value an electric signal corresponding to the signal of the sensing element which is an analog signal, then initiates charge or discharge of the memory unit at a rate corresponding to the size of an input fixed signal, measures the time period from either the charge start time or the discharge start time until the memory unit electric signal becomes equal to the reference signal, and then recognizes the measured time period as a digital value.

Abstract: Providing a configuration that, when an AD converter is provided for each of pixel columns, enables each of the elements to be arranged without increasing the element arrangement pitch. A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of AD converters. The AD converter includes: an arithmetic operation amplifying circuit unit, a comparator circuit unit for comparing, with a reference signal, an output from the arithmetic operation amplifying circuit unit; a DA converted circuit unit for DA converting a signal based on a signal from the comparator circuit unit; and a sampling and holding unit arranged at an input section of the arithmetic operation amplifying circuit unit. The DA converted circuit unit is arranged between the comparator circuit unit and the arithmetic operation amplifying circuit unit.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus comprises a pixel portion including a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel including a photoelectric conversion portion, an accumulation portion for accumulating the charge, a first transfer portion connecting the photoelectric conversion portion to the accumulation portion, a second transfer portion connecting the accumulation portion to a floating diffusion portion, and a third transfer portion connecting the photoelectric conversion portion to a power source, and wherein, from a state where no potential barrier is formed in the second transfer portion, a potential barrier is formed in the second transfer portion under a condition that a potential barrier is formed in the first transfer portion and no potential barrier is formed in the third transfer portion, and then a potential barrier is formed in the third transfer portion, thereby the operation of accumulating charges in the pixels is started.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus, controlling a potential on a semiconductor substrate for an electronic shutter operation, includes: a first semiconductor region of the first conductivity type for forming a photoelectric conversion region; a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, formed separately from the photoelectric conversion region, for accumulating carriers; a third semiconductor region of a second conductivity type arranged under the second semiconductor region, for operating as a potential barrier; a fourth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type extending between the first semiconductor region and the semiconductor substrate, and between the third semiconductor region and the semiconductor substrate; and a first voltage supply portion for supplying a voltage to the third semiconductor region; wherein the first voltage supply portion includes a fifth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type arranged in the pixel region, and a first electrode connected to

Abstract: In an image pickup device with A/D converters at each column signal line, improvements in the A/D conversion speed and accuracy in image sensors having A/D converters are achieved. In an image pickup device wherein sensing elements are arranged in a matrix and A/D converters are arranged for each column signal line, the A/D converter first retains in its memory unit as an initial value an electric signal corresponding to the signal of the sensing element which is an analog signal, then initiates charge or discharge of the memory unit at a rate corresponding to the size of an input fixed signal, measures the time period from either the charge start time or the discharge start time until the memory unit electric signal becomes equal to the reference signal, and then recognizes the measured time period as a digital value.

Abstract: An image pickup device is provided, capable of complete correction with data of once analog-to-digital conversion, and prevention of excess use of switches and analog devices and/or erroneous correction, including: an image sensor having a plurality of analog-to-digital converters determining conversion results from a digital signal of higher order bit through separate steps of two or more times; a first correction unit which has a correction factor for correcting nonlinear errors of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters so as to adapt to the analog-to-digital converters and corrects a nonlinear error of a digital signal output from respective analog-to-digital converters based on a correction factor corresponding to respective analog-to-digital converters, characterized in that the first correction unit corrects the nonlinear errors after converting the digital signals from the plurality of analog-to-digital converters into a serial output.

Abstract: A touch panel includes a light guide including a first face for detecting the position of an object in contact therewith and a second face opposite the first face, and a line sensor for receiving light emitted from a side face of the light guide plate, wherein, of light irradiated from the second face side, the light guide guides toward the side face the portion of light reflected by the object.

Abstract: The object is to determine an appropriate light exposure condition thereby to generate an appropriate synthesized image signal for an imaging scene for which an appropriate light exposure condition cannot be obtained by conventional techniques.

Abstract: Providing a configuration that, when an AD converter is provided for each of pixel columns, enables each of the elements to be arranged without increasing the element arrangement pitch. A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of AD converters. The AD converter includes: an arithmetic operation amplifying circuit unit, a comparator circuit unit for comparing, with a reference signal, an output from the arithmetic operation amplifying circuit unit; a DA converted circuit unit for DA converting a signal based on a signal from the comparator circuit unit; and a sampling and holding unit arranged at an input section of the arithmetic operation amplifying circuit unit. The DA converted circuit unit is arranged between the comparator circuit unit and the arithmetic operation amplifying circuit unit.

Abstract: An image pickup device includes pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit and a transfer switch for transferring a photoelectric conversion signal generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a driver for applying a pulse to the transfer switch a plurality of times when the signal generated by the photoelectric conversion unit is transferred via the transfer switch.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an imaging device, for taking images under different exposure conditions to create a single image, which includes a first condition-obtaining device configured to obtain a first exposure condition candidate for an Nth imaging according to image signals of the imaging prior to the Nth imaging; a second condition-obtaining device configured to obtain a second exposure condition candidate for the Nth imaging according to imaging conditions of the imaging prior to the Nth imaging; and a condition-determining device configured to determine exposure conditions for the Nth imaging according to at least one of the first and second exposure condition candidates.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes rows and columns of pixels, each column or each set of a plurality of columns being provided with an analog-to-digital converter. When an operation for holding analog electric signals performed by the analog-to-digital converters is performed simultaneously with an operation for outputting data from memories holding digital signals that are output from the analog-to-digital converters, “streaky noise” artifacts appear on an image obtained by such operations. To avoid this, the operation for holding the analog electric signals and the operation for outputting data from the memories holding the digital signals are set apart from each other by at least one data clock period of a scanning circuit.

Abstract: To track a region of interest (“ROI”) such as, for example, in a viewfinder of a camera, both the location and distance of a point in the ROI are estimated for a time in the future, based on actual measurements of locations and distances of the point at the present and in the past. Focus is controlled so as to focus on the point of interest based on the estimate of the future location and distance.

Abstract: Each pixel has a photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert light into electrical charges and to store the electrical charges, an amplifying unit configured to amplify a signal based on the electrical charges stored in the photoelectric conversion unit and to output the signal to an output line, and a reset unit configured to reset a input part of the amplifying unit. A clip unit, which is configured to limit an electric voltage of the output line, includes an amplifying circuitry for amplifying a signal based on the electric voltage of the output line and an MOS transistor for limiting the electric voltage of the output line based on the difference in electric potential between the gate and source. The clip unit controls the electric potential of the gate of the MOS transistor by the amplifying circuitry.

Abstract: In an image pickup device with A/D converters at each column signal line, improvements in the A/D conversion speed and accuracy in image sensors having A/D converters are achieved. In an image pickup device wherein sensing elements are arranged in a matrix and A/D converters are arranged for each column signal line, the A/D converter first retains in its memory unit as an initial value an electric signal corresponding to the signal of the sensing element which is an analog signal, then initiates charge or discharge of the memory unit at a rate corresponding to the size of an input fixed signal, measures the time period from either the charge start time or the discharge start time until the memory unit electric signal becomes equal to the reference signal, and then recognizes the measured time period as a digital value.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an imaging device, for taking images under different exposure conditions to create a single image, which includes a first condition-obtaining device configured to obtain a first exposure condition candidate for an Nth imaging according to image signals of the imaging prior to the Nth imaging; a second condition-obtaining device configured to obtain a second exposure condition candidate for the Nth imaging according to imaging conditions of the imaging prior to the Nth imaging; and a condition-determining device configured to determine exposure conditions for the Nth imaging according to at least one of the first and second exposure condition candidates.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image pickup apparatus which comprises: first and second photoelectric conversion units each including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; an image forming unit that forms images viewed from different points on the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements included in each of the first and second photoelectric conversion units; a first holding unit for holding signals from the first photoelectric conversion unit, the first holding unit having at least the same number of capacitors as the number of the photoelectric conversion elements included in the first photoelectric conversion unit; a second holding unit for holding signals from the second photoelectric conversion unit, the second holding unit having at least the same number of capacitors as the number of the photoelectric conversion elements included in the second photoelectric conversion unit; and a first common output line to which signals are read out from the plurality of capacitors included in eac

Abstract: To track a region of interest (“ROI”) such as, for example, in a viewfinder of a camera, both the location and distance of a point in the ROI are estimated for a time in the future, based on actual measurements of locations and distances of the point at the present and in the past. Focus is controlled so as to focus on the point of interest based on the estimate of the future location and distance.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus having: a plurality of circuit blocks each circuit block including a signal source and an output transistor adapted to receive a signal generated by the signal source at a control electrode region and output a corresponding signal from a main electrode region; and an analog/digital converter circuit adapted to sequentially process the signal from each of the plurality of circuit blocks, wherein the analog/digital converter circuit includes a reference transistor for receiving a reference level at a control electrode region and outputting a corresponding signal from a main electrode region and a digital output circuit for outputting a digital signal in accordance with a signal output from the output transistor and a signal output from the reference transistor, and wherein the output transistor and reference transistor constitute an input unit of a differential amplifier circuit including the output transistor and reference transistor.