Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device that has high-sensitivity pixel devices receiving a relatively large amount of light and low-sensitivity pixel devices receiving a relatively small amount of light, an exposure control unit independently controlling exposure periods of the high-sensitivity pixel devices and the low-sensitivity pixel devices, and an image generation unit performing image generation on the basis of an output signal of the image pickup device.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section including a plurality of pixels, a pixel drive line controlling driving the pixels in each row, a signal line reading an analog signal of the pixels in each column, a pixel drive unit driving the pixels to perform a readout through the pixel drive line, and a readout circuit capable of converting the analog signal into a digital signal. At least the number of pixel drive lines or the number of signal lines is more than one, and the pixels of each pixel group are connected to different lines of either the pixel drive lines or the signal lines. The pixel drive unit sequentially drives the pixels in the pixel group at shifted timings, and the readout circuit includes an analog-to-digital converter sequentially receiving analog signals from the pixel group and sequentially converting the analog signals into digital signals.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device, includes: a pixel array area including an unit pixel having a photoelectric conversion element and a transfer gate; a first supply voltage control means for supplying a first control voltage to a control electrode of the transfer gate; a second supply voltage control means for sequentially supplying one or plural second control voltages having a voltage value different from the first control voltage to the control electrode; a third supply voltage control means for supplying a third control voltage having the same voltage value as the second control voltages once or plural times prior to one or plural supplies of the second control voltages; a first driving means for reading signal charges from the transfer gate when the first control voltage is supplied; and a second driving means for reading signal charges from the transfer gate once and more when the second control voltage is sequentially applied.

Abstract: A solid-state image capturing apparatus includes: a pixel array unit including two-dimensionally arranged pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit, a transfer transistor that transfers charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit, and a charge discharging transistor that selectively discharges the charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit; and a driving unit that performs driving for reading signals from each pixel of the pixel array unit, and drives the charge discharging transistor by using a signal for the driving.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including an array of a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels with higher sensitivity than the first pixels, a first control signal line that controls the first pixels, and a second control signal line that controls the second pixels, wherein the first control signal line and the second control signal line are driven independent of each other.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel array unit having arranged unit pixels, each having a charge generator generating signal charges, and a signal output unit having a charge transfer unit, and generating and outputting a processing-target signal corresponding to the signal charges; a driving controller driving the unit pixels, the driving controller sequentially driving the charge transfer unit; and a transfer driving voltage setting unit setting, on the basis of a pixel signal based on a saturated charge amount of the charge generator and a pixel signal based on an intermediate voltage retained charge amount retained in the charge generator after intermediate transfer in which charge transfer is performed at a level between a complete transfer level and an off level, the level of the intermediate voltage such that an actual intermediate voltage retained charge amount becomes the expectation value of the intermediate voltage retained charge amount.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided which has a driving circuit operable to drive a circuit that has a delay, the semiconductor device including: an auxiliary driving circuit operable to accelerate drive of the driving circuit, which receives a drive signal of the driving circuit as an input signal.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device including: a pixel array portion; a dummy pixel; a differential circuit; a reset voltage supplying section; and a common phase feedback circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a solid-state image pickup device including: a pixel array portion; a dummy pixel; a differential circuit; a reset voltage supplying section; and a common phase feedback circuit.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device includes: multiple unit pixels including a photoelectric converter generating electrical charge in accordance with incident light quantity and accumulating the charge, a first transfer gate transferring the accumulated charge, a charge holding region holding the transferred charge, a second transfer gate transferring the held charge, and a floating diffusion region converting the transferred charge into voltage; an intermediate charge transfer unit transferring, to the charge holding region, a charge exceeding a predetermined charge amount as a first signal charge; and a pixel driving unit setting the first transfer gate to a non-conducting state, set the second transfer gate to a conducting state, transfer the first signal charge to the floating diffusion region, set the second transfer gate to a non-conducting state, set the first transfer gate to a conducting state, and transfer the accumulated charge to the charge holding region as a second signal charge.

Abstract: When a middle voltage within a withstanding voltage of a transistor from a first voltage VL as a low voltage of a source voltage and a second voltage VH as a high voltage of the source voltage is represented by VM and a third voltage within the withstanding voltage of a transistor from the second voltage VH or the first voltage VL is represented by VS or VD, a driving circuit includes: a first transistor whose source electrode is connected to a node of the middle voltage VM; a second transistor whose source electrode is connected to the drain electrode of the first transistor and whose drain electrode is connected to an output terminal; and a controller applying a signal having an amplitude of a difference between the voltages VL and VH to the gate electrode of the first transistor and applying a signal having an amplitude of a difference between the voltages VS and VH or between the voltages VL and VD to the gate electrode of the second transistor.

Abstract: High-resolution AD conversion can be performed at a high speed in a CMOS image sensor in which column-parallel ADCs are mounted. In a CMOS image sensor 10 in which column-parallel ADCs are mounted, reference voltages Vref1 to Vref4 having slopes with different gradients and a reference voltage Vref5 are used. Additionally, a comparison circuit 32 that compares an output voltage Vx of a unit pixel 11 with any one of the reference voltages Vref1 to Vref4, and a comparison circuit 33 that compares the one of the reference voltages Vref1 to Vref4 with the reference voltage Vref5 are included in a column processing circuit 15. High-resolution AD conversion is performed at a high speed by respective operations of the comparison circuits 32 and 33 and an up/down counter 34.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array unit in which unit pixels are arranged in a matrix shape and a signal processing circuit that obtains a first video signal and performs processing for combining the first and second video signals. The signal processing circuit includes judging means that judges whether a pixel of interest in the pixel array unit is a pixel to be saturated during an exposure period, calculating means that sets the pixel of interest as a correction pixel and calculates a correction amount on the basis of a luminance value of the second video signal of a peripheral pixel of the correction pixel, and correcting means that applies the correction amount to a luminance value of the first video signal of the correction pixel to thereby correct a noise signal amount due to photo-charges leaking from the peripheral pixel into the correction pixel.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging device, including, a pixel array unit, driving means, signal processing means, level determining means and control means.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging device, including, a pixel array unit, driving means, and analog-to-digital conversion means.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device, includes: a pixel array area including an unit pixel having a photoelectric conversion element and a transfer gate; a first supply voltage control means for supplying a first control voltage to a control electrode of the transfer gate; a second supply voltage control means for sequentially supplying one or plural second control voltages having a voltage value different from the first control voltage to the control electrode; a third supply voltage control means for supplying a third control voltage having the same voltage value as the second control voltages once or plural times prior to one or plural supplies of the second control voltages; a first driving means for reading signal charges from the transfer gate when the first control voltage is supplied; and a second driving means for reading signal charges from the transfer gate once and more when the second control voltage is sequentially applied.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a solid-state image pickup device including: a pixel array portion; a dummy pixel; a differential circuit; a reset voltage supplying section; and a common phase feedback circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging device, including, a pixel array unit, first driving means, second driving means, and third driving means.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided which has a driving circuit operable to drive a circuit that has a delay, the semiconductor device including: an auxiliary driving circuit operable to accelerate drive of the driving circuit, which receives a drive signal of the driving circuit as an input signal.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes the following elements. An image input unit receives a long-time exposure image and a short-time exposure image. An image analysis unit detects a brightness-change pixel in which a brightness change has occurred during a photographic period on the basis of analysis of pixel values in the long-time exposure image and the short-time exposure image. A pixel value correction unit corrects a pixel value of the detected brightness-change pixel. In the pixel value correction unit, a combined image generator selectively combines pixel values in the long-time exposure image and pixel values in the short-time exposure image to generate a combined image; an intermediate image generator generates a blurred image of the combined image; and an output image generator determines a pixel value of the detected brightness-change pixel using a pixel value of a corresponding pixel in each of the combined image and the blurred image.