Interline Readout Patents (Class 348/322)
  • Patent number: 12081875
    Abstract: In an image processing apparatus, a first correction unit corrects imaging data acquired from an infrared imaging device, based on a first correction table, and outputs first corrected data. A second correction unit generates a second correction table for the imaging data in a state in which a shutter is closed, and outputs second corrected data based on the second correction table. A saturated region detection unit detects a saturated region in the imaging data. A shutter control unit performs closing control for the shutter, based on a result of detection of the saturated region. An abnormal pixel detection unit detects whether or not the imaging data acquired in the state in which the shutter is closed includes an abnormal pixel. A selection unit selects and outputs either the first corrected data or the second corrected data in accordance with a result of detection by the abnormal pixel detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: JVCKENWOOD CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keita Hayashi, Hirofumi Yamamoto, Tadashi Ishiwata, Yasufumi Nakaaki, Keiji Tsuchiya, Jun Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11895419
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: a first pixel including a first photoelectric converter that converts incident light into first signal charges, and a first charge storage node that accumulates the first signal charges; and a second pixel including a second photoelectric converter that converts incident light into second signal charges, and a second charge storage node that accumulates the second signal charges. An area of the second photoelectric converter is greater than an area of the first photoelectric converter in a plan view. Capacitance of the first charge storage node is greater than capacitance of the second charge storage node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tokuhiko Tamaki
  • Patent number: 11849233
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: a first pixel including a first photoelectric converter that converts incident light into first signal charges, and a first charge storage node that accumulates the first signal charges; and a second pixel including a second photoelectric converter that converts incident light into second signal charges, and a second charge storage node that accumulates the second signal charges. An area of the second photoelectric converter is greater than an area of the first photoelectric converter in a plan view. Capacitance of the first charge storage node is greater than capacitance of the second charge storage node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tokuhiko Tamaki
  • Patent number: 11716141
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a photonic integrated circuit having an optical phased array, where the optical phased array includes multiple unit cells. Each unit cell includes (i) an antenna element configured to receive optical signals and (ii) a modulator configured to phase-shift the optical signals received by the antenna element. Multiple subgroups of the unit cells in the optical phased array are configured to generate multiple combined optical signals based on the received optical signals. The apparatus also includes at least one of: (i) amplitude adjusters configured to modify amplitudes of the combined optical signals in order to compensate for amplitude modulations across a receive aperture of the optical phased array and (ii) phase modulators configured to modify phases of the combined optical signals in order to compensate for phase modulations across the receive aperture of the optical phased array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Stephen P. Palese
  • Patent number: 11375101
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus capable of focus detection includes a sensor including a plurality of pixels, the sensor being capable of changing an accumulation time of the pixels for each of a plurality of regions including the plurality of pixels, an accumulation control unit that, in accordance with a state or a setting of the image capturing apparatus, changes accumulation control of the pixels for each of the plurality of regions, and a defocus computation unit that calculates a defocus amount using signals from the pixels for which accumulation has been controlled by the accumulation control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuta Suzuki, Tomokuni Hirosawa
  • Patent number: 11325565
    Abstract: A vehicle recognition device includes a vehicle recognizer and a wiper controller. The vehicle recognizer is configured to determine, upon a first state, whether a transition is made from the first state to a second state. The first state is a state in which a second vehicle is recognizable from captured images obtained from respective cameras provided in a first vehicle. The second state is a state in which the second vehicle is unrecognizable from one or more of the captured images. The one or more of the captured images is obtained from all or a part of the cameras. The wiper controller is configured to automatically control an operation of a wiper of the first vehicle on the basis of an automatic control, when the vehicle recognizer determines that the transition is made from the first state to the second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11328449
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus, a method for image processing, and an electronic device are provided. The image processing apparatus includes a Hardware Abstract Layer (HAL), an application (APP) coupled with the HAL, and an Algo Process Service (APS). The HAL is configured to receive a RAW image, to convert the RAW image into a YUV image, and to transmit the RAW image and/or the YUV image to the APP. The APP is configured to transmit the RAW image and/or the YUV image to the APS. The APS is coupled with the HAL via the APP and stores at least one image processing algorithm for image post-processing, and the APS is configured to process, with the at least one image processing algorithm, the RAW image and/or the YUV image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaopeng Li, Tao Yang
  • Patent number: 11317043
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a pixel including a permittivity modulation element that includes opposite and pixel electrodes and a permittivity modulation structure whose permittivity changes according to the radiation of light, a capacitive element that includes first and second electrodes, and a detection circuit that outputs a signal corresponding to the potential of the pixel electrode. Also provided are a voltage supply circuit that applies first and second voltages in different first and second periods to one of the opposite electrode and the first electrode, and a signal processing circuit that generates a third signal being a difference between a first signal output from the detection circuit in the first period and a second signal output from the detection circuit in the second period. The potential difference between the opposite electrode and the first electrode when the second voltage is applied is less than when the first voltage is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeyoshi Tokuhara, Yasuo Miyake, Sanshiro Shishido
  • Patent number: 11172155
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: a first pixel including a first photoelectric converter that converts incident light into first signal charges, and a first charge storage node that accumulates the first signal charges; and a second pixel including a second photoelectric converter that converts incident light into second signal charges, and a second charge storage node that accumulates the second signal charges. An area of the second photoelectric converter is greater than an area of the first photoelectric converter in a plan view. Capacitance of the first charge storage node is greater than capacitance of the second charge storage node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tokuhiko Tamaki
  • Patent number: 10979067
    Abstract: An image pickup device, comprises: a pixel configured to output a signal based on a light reception amount; and an AD conversion unit. The AD conversion unit includes: an amplifier circuit configured to amplify a signal that is output from the pixel; a comparator circuit including an output node for outputting a comparison result signal generated by using an output signal from the amplifier circuit and a ramp signal; a memory configured to hold a digital value corresponding to the output signal, based on a result of the comparator circuit; a gain switching circuit configured to switch a gain of the amplifier circuit; and a ramp signal switching circuit configured to switch a slope of the ramp signal. The gain switching circuit and the ramp signal switching circuit are electrically connected to the output node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiichirou Sakai
  • Patent number: 10972639
    Abstract: An in-vehicle device 4 includes an image acquisition unit 42 that acquires an image photographed by a camera 2 including a lens, a storage unit 7, a dirt detection unit 6 that detects dirt on the lens on the basis of the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 42 and that stores dirt region information indicating a region where the dirt exists in the image into the storage unit 7, a dirt removal information generation unit 8 that generates dirt removal information indicating a region where the dirt on the lens is removed, and a rewriting unit 12 that rewrites the dirt region information on the basis of the dirt removal information. Accordingly, it is possible to rewrite the dirt region information on the basis of the dirt removal information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: CLARION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kohei Mandai, Daisuke Fukuda, Shuzo Kaneko, Hiroaki Andou
  • Patent number: 10721425
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device in an embodiment is a solid-state imaging device including an output circuit configured to amplify signals read out from a plurality of pixels. The solid-state imaging device includes a logic circuit configured to generate operation timing of the output circuit and a delay generation circuit configured to control a delay amount for adjusting a pulse generated by the logic circuit to optimum timing. The delay generation circuit is configured of a first variable delay circuit configured to generate a delay pulse, a reference clock of which is delayed by a reference delay amount, a control circuit configured to control the first variable delay circuit and calculate, as a digital signal, a delay code corresponding to the reference delay amount, and a second variable delay circuit configured to adjust the timing of the pulse using the delay code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventors: Seishi Kobayashi, Kenji Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9986130
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a light source, a light-source control unit, a line sensor, an image data generating unit, and an image analysis unit. The line sensor includes a plurality of light receiving elements, a plurality of charge coupled devices, and a shift register. The image data generating unit generates image data according to electric charges output from the shift register. The image analysis unit determines whether transfer of the electric charges is normal, based on a contour reproduction status, being the status of reproduction of contours in test image data generated by reading of a test image having contours oriented intersecting an orientation whereby the plurality of light receiving elements are arranged. The light-source control unit adjusts the amount of light from the light source based on the determination by the image analysis unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yukio Tanisaki
  • Patent number: 9615044
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus and a method of driving the same that can generate a digital data of a high resolution pixel signal are provided. The imaging apparatus includes: a pixel (10-1) for generating a signal by photoelectric conversion; a comparing circuit (30-1) for comparing a signal based on the pixel with a time-dependent reference signal; a counter circuit (40-1) performing a counting operating until an inversion of a magnitude relation between the signal based on the pixel and the time-dependent reference signal; and a selecting circuit (30-2) for setting a time-dependent change rate of the reference signal, according to a signal level of the signal based on the pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Hashimoto, Yasushi Matsuno
  • Patent number: 9501443
    Abstract: A differential line driver circuit comprising a plurality of driver stages is described. Each driver stage is operably coupled to at least one output of the line driver circuit and arranged to receive at least one control signal and to drive at least one output signal on the at least one output of the line driver circuit in accordance with the at least one control signal received thereby. The line driver circuit further comprises at least one delay component arranged to receive the at least one control signal, and to sequentially propagate the at least one control signal to the driver stages with time delays between the propagation of the at least one control signal to sequentially adjacent driver stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthijs Pardoen
  • Patent number: 9100604
    Abstract: An electric camera includes an image sensing device with a light receiving surface having N vertically arranged pixels and an arbitrary number of pixels arranged horizontally, N being equal to or more than three times the number of effective scanning lines M of a display screen of a television system, a driver to drive the image sensing device to vertically mix or cull signal charges accumulated in individual pixels of K pixels to produce, during a vertical effective scanning period of the television system, a number of lines of output signals which corresponds to 1/K the number of vertically arranged pixels N of the image sensing device, K being an integer equal to or less than an integral part of a quotient of N divided by M, and a signal processing unit having a function of generating image signals by using the output signals of the image sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Nakano, Ryuji Nishimura, Toshiro Kinugasa
  • Publication number: 20150097999
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor including a first semiconductor substrate on which a photodiode is arranged, a second semiconductor substrate on which a storage element is arranged, and a connection unit configured to electrically connect the photodiode and the storage element, a first transfer unit configured to transfer pixel signals of a first pixel group to the storage element, a first readout unit configured to read out the pixel signals of the first pixel group, a second transfer unit configured to transfer pixel signals of a second pixel group to the storage element, and a second readout unit configured to read out some of the pixel signals of the second pixel group, wherein an image of one frame is generated by composing the pixel signals of the second pixel group and the first pixel group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventor: Hideaki Sambonsugi
  • Publication number: 20150092096
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section and a signal processing section. The pixel array section is configured to include a plurality of arranged rectangular pixels, each of which has different sizes in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a plurality of adjacent ones of which are combined to form a square pixel having the same size in the vertical and horizontal directions. The signal processing section is configured to perform a process of outputting, as a single signal, a plurality of signals read out from the combined plurality of rectangular pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventor: Keiji Mabuchi
  • Patent number: 8946615
    Abstract: The controlling circuit of the image censor circuit controls the row decoder to address the light receiving cell with the address signal to turn on the first MOS transistor and turns on the switch circuit with a switch controlling signal, and then controls the row decoder to turn off the first MOS transistor and then turns off the switch circuit with the switch controlling signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Jun Deguchi
  • Patent number: 8860864
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce display delay time in a live view display. An image capturing device has an image data generation unit that generates image data per line of a display section based on an output of an image capturing sensor in which a start and an end of charge storing are controlled per line, a display control unit that causes the display section to display generated image data sequentially per line, and a control unit that ends charge storing after a first amount of time passes since charge storing of an image capturing target line is started, and starts displaying image data of a display target line corresponding to the image capturing target line after a second amount of time passes since charge storing of an image capturing target line is ended. The second amount of time is time required for starting displaying image data in a display target line after charge storing of an image capturing target line is ended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Ryuichi Shiohara
  • Patent number: 8736729
    Abstract: An electric camera includes an image sensing device with a light receiving surface having N vertically arranged pixels and an arbitrary number of pixels arranged horizontally, N being equal to or more than three times the number of effective scanning lines M of a display screen of a television system, a driver to drive the image sensing device to vertically mix or cull signal charges accumulated in individual pixels of K pixels to produce, during a vertical effective scanning period of the television system, a number of lines of output signals which corresponds to 1/K the number of vertically arranged pixels N of the image sensing device, K being an integer equal to or less than an integral part of a quotient of N divided by M, and a signal processing unit having a function of generating image signals by using the output signals of the image sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Nakano, Ryuji Nishimura, Toshiro Kinugasa
  • Patent number: 8724003
    Abstract: In various embodiments, image-capture methods include a mode in which an image is acquired via charge accumulation in multiple regions of an imaging array and read out to one or more outputs, and/or a mode in which an image is acquired via charge accumulation in a first region of an imaging array, held in vertical CCDs of another region of the imaging array, and read out along with a second image acquired via charge accumulation in the first region of the imaging array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Truesense Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Parks, Keith Wetzel
  • Patent number: 8670058
    Abstract: The present invention reduces differences in the influence of electric charge leakage from a non-read out region into multiple read out regions adjacent to a non-read out region. Reset scanning of that row in the non-read out region which adjoins the first or second read out region is started before read out scanning of the first and second read out regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Hayashi, Shintaro Takenaka, Kazuhiro Sonoda, Yukihiro Kuroda, Koichiro Iwata
  • Patent number: 8634012
    Abstract: Provided is a solid-state image pickup device that includes: a pixel portion having a plurality of pixels that are arranged in a two-dimensional array and generate pixel signals; a readout row counter that generates row addresses for reading the pixel portion; a first reset row counter that generates a row address for resetting a first field of the pixel portion; a second reset row counter that generates a row address for resetting a second field of the pixel portion; a selector that selects one of the row addresses generated by the readout row counter, the first reset row counter, and the second reset row counter; and pixel driving units that respectively select two rows: an odd-numbered row and a neighboring even-numbered row of the pixel portion corresponding to the selected row address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Yamazaki, Shintaro Takenaka
  • Patent number: 8531570
    Abstract: An image processing device and method for reducing the line memory consumption in an image processor is disclosed. The image processing device includes an imaging unit for acquiring image data by imaging a subject, an image memory to which a first part out of first and second parts of the image data output from the imaging unit is input, and an image processor for image-processing the first part received from the image memory, image-processing the second part received without passing it through the image memory, and generating a processed image corresponding to the image data by synthesizing the processed first and second parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Naozumi Sugimura
  • Patent number: 8339493
    Abstract: An electric camera includes an image sensing device with a light receiving surface having N vertically arranged pixels and an arbitrary number of pixels arranged horizontally, N being equal to or more than three times the number of effective scanning lines M of a display screen of a television system, a driver to drive the image sensing device to vertically mix or cull signal charges accumulated in individual pixels of K pixels to produce, during a vertical effective scanning period of the television system, a number of lines of output signals which corresponds to 1/K the number of vertically arranged pixels N of the image sensing device, K being an integer equal to or less than an integral part of a quotient of N divided by M, and a signal processing unit having a function of generating image signals by using the output signals of the image sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Nakano, Ryuji Nishimura, Toshiro Kinugasa
  • Patent number: 8319878
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device of the type having photoelectric conversion elements formed in a matrix pattern on a semiconductor substrate, vertical transfer elements each of which reads signal charges from the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in the column direction and transfers the signal charges in the vertical direction, and a horizontal transfer element which transfers in the horizontal direction the signal charges sent from each of the vertical transfer elements, the horizontal transfer element includes: a charge transfer channel; a first transfer electrode; a second transfer electrode; and an interelectrode insulating film; with the first transfer electrode and the second transfer electrode being at the same potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Terada, Keisuke Hatano
  • Patent number: 8279317
    Abstract: Multiple images are captured where the exposure times for some of the images overlap and the images are spatially overlapped. Charge packets are transferred from one or more portions of pixels after particular integration periods, thereby enabling the portion or portions of pixels to begin another integration period while one or more other portions of pixels continue to integrate charge. Charge packets may be binned during readout of the images from the image sensor. Comparison of two or more images having different lengths of overlapping or non-overlapping exposure periods provides motion information. The multiple images can then be aligned to compensate for motion between the images and assembled into a combined image with an improved signal to noise ratio and reduced motion blur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Truesense Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Border, John T. Compton, David N. Nichols
  • Patent number: 8248490
    Abstract: An imaging sensor having reduced column fixed pattern noise includes a plurality of imaging pixels and a column sampling circuit. The plurality of imaging pixels are arranged in a column the column sampling circuit is coupled to the column. A plurality of sampling channels are included in the column sampling circuit, where the column sampling circuit randomly selects a first sampling channel from among the plurality of sampling channels to sample a first data signal from a pixel included in the plurality of imaging pixels and where the column sampling circuit randomly selects a second sampling channel from among the plurality of sampling channels to sample a second data signal from the pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Guangbin Zhang, Tiejun Dai
  • Patent number: 8194166
    Abstract: Multiple images are captured where the exposure times for some of the images overlap and the images are spatially overlapped. Charge packets are transferred from one or more portions of pixels after particular integration periods, thereby enabling the portion or portions of pixels to begin another integration period while one or more other portions of pixels continue to integrate charge. Charge packets may be binned during readout of the images from the image sensor. Comparison of two or more images having different lengths of overlapping or non-overlapping exposure periods provides motion information. The multiple images can then be aligned to compensate for motion between the images and assembled into a combined image with an improved signal to noise ratio and reduced motion blur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Truesense Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Border, John T. Compton, David N. Nichols
  • Patent number: 8184187
    Abstract: An image sensor includes an electronic shutter layer that drains charge away from the photosensitive regions during an electronic shutter operation. A signal is applied to the electronic shutter layer through a contact. Prior to performing an electronic shutter operation, a determination is made as to whether or not a current level in the electronic shutter layer substantially equals or exceeds a threshold current level. If the current level in the electronic shutter layer substantially equals or exceeds the threshold current level, the electronic shutter operation is not performed. The electronic shutter operation is performed if the current level in the electronic shutter layer does not substantially equal or exceed the threshold current level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Truesense Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Parks, Gregory O. Moberg
  • Patent number: 8184186
    Abstract: An image sensor includes an electronic shutter layer that is used to drain charge during an electronic shutter operation. A timing generator is electrically connected to a selector component. The selector component is electrically connected to an electronic shutter pulse driver component. The electronic shutter pulse driver component is electrically connected to a current sensing component. The current sensing component is electrically connected to the electronic shutter layer through a contact. The current sensing component senses a current level in the electronic shutter layer and changes a state of an alert signal when the current level equals or exceeds a threshold current level. Depending on the state of an alert signal, the selector component either transmits, or does not transmit, the drive pulse signal to the electronic shutter pulse driver component. An electronic shutter operation is performed when the electronic shutter pulse driver component receives the drive pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Truesense Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Parks, Gregory O. Moberg
  • Patent number: 8164669
    Abstract: A CCD image sensor comprises photosensitive elements arranged in rows and columns, vertical CCDs each having vertical shift elements associated with respective ones of the photosensitive elements of a corresponding one of the columns, and a horizontal CCD coupled to each of the vertical CCDs. The horizontal CCD comprises horizontal shift elements of two different types interspersed with one another. The horizontal shift elements of the first type are configured to receive shifted charge packets directly from respective ones of the vertical CCDs. The horizontal shift elements of the second type are configured not to receive shifted charge packets directly from any of the vertical CCDs. This configuration facilitates binning of same-color pixels for both sparse CFA patterns and Bayer CFA patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Truesense Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Compton, David N. Nichols
  • Patent number: 8159570
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus includes an image sensor including a pixel array, on which a plurality of pixels are arranged, and a reading section configured to read a signal from the pixel array, a detection unit configured to detect a defective pixel in the pixel array based on a signal read from the pixel array by the reading section under a condition that the pixel array is shielded from light, and a control unit configured to control the reading section to read a signal from the pixel array under a condition that a defect tends to occur when the detection unit detects the defective pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norio Negishi
  • Patent number: 8134627
    Abstract: A digital photographing apparatus and a method of operating an image pickup device reduce generation of smear. The image pickup device includes a matrix of photoelectric converters which generate charges from incident light, vertical transfer paths for reading charges generated in the photoelectric converters and for transferring the read charges in a vertical direction, and a horizontal transfer path for transferring the charges on the vertical transfer paths in a horizontal direction. The method includes: applying vertical and horizontal transfer signals for causing the charges generated in photoelectric converters defining a subset of rows of the photoelectric converters to be read by the vertical transfer paths and to be transferred in the horizontal direction along the horizontal transfer path; and providing a predetermined period of time in which the horizontal transfer signals are not applied to the horizontal transfer path while charges are being transferred to the horizontal transfer path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gi-woung Jung, Kyoung-shin Kim, Inh-seok Suh, Shinri Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8059177
    Abstract: An electric camera includes an image sensing device with a light receiving surface having N vertically arranged pixels and an arbitrary number of pixels arranged horizontally, N being equal to or more than three times the number of effective scanning lines M of a display screen of a television system, a driver to drive the image sensing device to vertically mix or cull signal charges accumulated in individual pixels of K pixels to produce, during a vertical effective scanning period of the television system, a number of lines of output signals which corresponds to 1/K the number of vertically arranged pixels N of the image sensing device, K being an integer equal to or less than an integral part of a quotient of N divided by M, and a signal processing unit having a function of generating image signals by using the output signals of the image sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Nakano, Ryuji Nishimura, Toshiro Kinugasa
  • Patent number: 7965331
    Abstract: A solid state imaging element comprises: photoelectric conversion elements; a plurality of vertical electric charge transfer passages that transfer, in a vertical direction, electric charges generated by the photoelectric conversion elements; and a horizontal electric charge transfer passage that transfers, in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the electric charges transferred in the vertical electric charge transfer passage, wherein the horizontal electric charge transfer passage comprises a plurality of electric charge transferring stages each of which operates as an electric charge accumulating region or a barrier region according to a level of an applied voltage, and each of said plurality of electric charge transferring stages is connected to plural ones of the vertical electric charge transfer passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Mariko Saito, Hideki Wako, Katsumi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 7956919
    Abstract: When a signal is read from a CCD solid-state image pickup element, the CCD solid-state image pickup element is driven with at least two driving voltages so that high-speed reading is performed with generation of noise due to interference between the driving voltages reduced. The CCD solid-state image includes a charge storage section between a vertical transfer register and a horizontal transfer register. By performing the transfer of charge in the direction of columns during an effective transfer period of the transfer in the direction of rows, signal charge of one row generated by a light receiving sensor is transferred to the charge storage section, and by performing the transfer outside the effective transfer period in the transfer in the direction of the row, the signal charge of one row transferred to the charge storage section is transferred to the horizontal transfer register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Hirota, Masahiro Segami, Kenji Nakayama
  • Patent number: 7889259
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus has an image pickup device including an imaging section, in which signal charges read out from plural photosensitive cells are vertically transferred over vertical transfer paths and the transferred signal charges are in turn horizontally transferred over a horizontal transfer path, which has a branching section for assigning the transferred signal charges to plural output channels, i.e. plural horizontal transfer paths provided at the end of the horizontal transfer path. A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the image pickup device is provided on the imaging section, and a temperature-induced drift compensator corrects a transfer error of signal charges in the image pickup device. The compensator modifies transfer error correction based on the detected temperature. The image pickup apparatus can thus substantially reduce an assignment error even when the temperature of the image pickup device changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Furuta, Hirokazu Kobayashi, Hiroyuki Oshima
  • Patent number: 7830440
    Abstract: An image sensor includes at least first and second photo-sensitive regions; a color filter array having at least two different colors that selectively absorb specific bands of wavelengths, and the two colors respectively span portions of predetermined photo-sensitive regions; and wherein the two photo sensitive regions are doped so that electrons that are released at two different depths in the substrate are collected in two separate regions of the photo sensitive regions so that, when wavelengths of light pass through the color filter array, light is absorbed by the photo sensitive regions which photo sensitive regions consequently releases electrons at two different depths of the photo sensitive regions and are stored in first and second separate regions; at least two charge-coupled devices adjacent the first photo sensitive regions; and a first transfer gate associated with the first photo sensitive region that selectively passes charge at first and second levels which, when at the first level, causes the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Joseph R. Summa, Herbert J. Erhardt
  • Patent number: 7830438
    Abstract: A frame shutter apparatus comprising a controller for controlling multiple groups of pixels and for reading out values corresponding to the charge collected by different groups of pixels at different times. A method of reading out multiple groups of pixels is provided wherein values corresponding to the charge collected by one group of pixels is readout at a different time than the values corresponding to the charge collected by another group of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: Eric R. Fossum, Sandor L. Barna
  • Patent number: 7825975
    Abstract: An image sensor and a method for using the same are disclosed. The image sensor includes an array of pixel sensors, a signal digitizing circuit, and a digitizing controller. The array of pixel sensors includes a plurality of pixel sensors. Each pixel sensor includes a photodetector, a charge conversion circuit, and a gate transistor. The charge conversion circuit generates a voltage signal that is related to a charge on the photodiode, and the gate transistor couples the voltage signal to a bit line in response to a first signal. The signal digitizing circuit converts the voltage signal to a plurality of output digital values. Each output digital value has a different level of digitization noise. One of the output digital values is selected for output in response to an output selection signal that is generated by the digitizing controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Fairchild Imaging, Inc.
    Inventor: Boyd Fowler
  • Patent number: 7777799
    Abstract: An image sensor includes at least first and second photo-sensitive regions; a color filter array having at least two different colors that selectively absorb specific bands of wavelengths, and the two colors respectively span portions of predetermined photo-sensitive regions; and wherein the two photo sensitive regions are doped so that electrons that are released at two different depths in the substrate are collected in two separate regions of the photo sensitive regions so that, when wavelengths of light pass through the color filter array, light is absorbed by the photo sensitive regions which photo sensitive regions consequently releases electrons at two different depths of the photo sensitive regions and are stored in first and second separate regions; at least two charge-coupled devices adjacent the first photo sensitive regions; and a first transfer gate associated with the first photo sensitive region that selectively passes charge at first and second levels which, when at the first level, causes the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Joseph R. Summa, Herbert J. Erhardt
  • Patent number: 7750964
    Abstract: When a signal is read from a CCD solid-state image pickup element, the CCD solid-state image pickup element is driven with at least two driving voltages so that high-speed reading is performed with generation of noise due to interference between the driving voltages reduced. The CCD solid-state image includes a charge storage section between a vertical transfer register and a horizontal transfer register. By performing the transfer of charge in the direction of columns during an effective transfer period of the transfer in the direction of rows, signal charge of one row generated by a light receiving sensor is transferred to the charge storage section, and by performing the transfer outside the effective transfer period in the transfer in the direction of the row, the signal charge of one row transferred to the charge storage section is transferred to the horizontal transfer register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Hirota, Masahiro Segami, Kenji Nakayama
  • Patent number: 7742049
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for displaying characters on a TV screen in an electronic appliance such as a DVD player is disclosed. Vertically compressed character fonts are stored. When it is requested to display a character, the stored character font is read and displayed in a video field and then the character font is displayed again in the next video field, whereby flickering can be effectively eliminated with a reduced-size memory for storing fonts data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Kyu Tae Lee
  • Patent number: 7718944
    Abstract: A charge coupled device is provided with: an output gate; a main CCD region operated in response to a set of clock signals; and an output region positioned between the output gate and the main CCD region and designed to transfer electric charges received from the main CCD region to the output gate. The main CCD region includes first and second transfer electrodes. The output region includes third and fourth transfer electrodes receiving clock signals which are phase-reversed from each other. The set of clock signals received by the main CCD region and the clock signals received by the output region are outputted from different driver circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 7719037
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a reset transistor, reset gate electrodes and a potential shift circuit. The reset transistor includes a reset gate and a reset drain, and resets charges detected by a charge detection device. The reset gate electrodes control a potential of the reset gate. The potential shift circuit initializes output signals in response to a shift pulse, and outputs the output signals to the reset gate electrodes in response to a reset pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshizumi Haraguchi
  • Patent number: 7636109
    Abstract: A digital camera capable of accurately detecting flicker even while a video image is displayed on a display device is provided. In a digital camera, a video image is displayed on a display device 40 serving as a viewfinder for photographing based on a display video signal supplied from a CMOS image sensor 120 while image data based on a recording video signal supplied from the CMOS image sensor 120 is recorded in a recording unit 50. The digital camera detects flicker based on a video signal supplied from a group of pixel circuits which do not supply the display video signal among the group of pixel circuits forming the CMOS image sensor 120.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Kenichi Nakajima, Junzou Sakurai
  • Patent number: 7612820
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a configurable timing generator outputs at least one timing signal. The configurable timing generator comprises a first timing generator configurable to output the at least one timing signal so that the at least one timing signal is adaptable to a plurality of applications. In one embodiment, a configurable parameter storage unit comprising a parameter storage area configurable so as to store a plurality of parameters at least partially defining a desired plurality of waveform hierarchy elements, where the desired plurality of waveform hierarchy elements enable the definition of a waveform. In one embodiment, a method of constructing a waveform for a configurable timing generator, the method comprising acts of constructing a first pattern waveform, where the first pattern waveform comprises a first basic pulse, and constructing a first sequence waveform, where the first sequence waveform comprises a plurality of repetitions of the first pattern waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Jacobs, Jianrong Chen
  • Patent number: 7564492
    Abstract: The present invention provides a solid-state image sensing device that can reduce at least the number of pixels arranged in the horizontal direction and can output high quality picture signals at high speed without generating moire or alias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoichi Nagayoshi, Toshiya Fujii, Tsuyoshi Hasuka, Akiyoshi Kohno, Shinichi Tashiro, Keijiro Itakura