An analogue to digital converter is provided for digital imaging devices, in which a pixel column is sampled by a respective capacitor.

In a reset phase of operation, each pixel in the row under consideration is reset, and an operational amplifier operating in a voltage follower mode is coupled to all the sampling capacitors in parallel to obtain the reset values of the pixels sensors of that row, and the in an imaging phase of operation, the inverting input of the operational amplifier operating in a comparator mode is coupled to each capacitor in turn after activating the respective pixel sensor, while exposing the non inverting signal to an analog ramp reference voltage so that the timing of the toggling of the operational amplifier reflects the value of the pixel under consideration, corrected for the reset value.

A pixel array includes pixel cells disposed in semiconductor material. Each of the pixel cells includes photodiodes, and a floating diffusion to receive image charge from the photodiodes. A source follower is coupled to the floating diffusion to generate an image signal in response image charge from the photodiodes. Drain regions of first and second row select transistors are coupled to a source of the source follower. A common junction is disposed in the semiconductor material between gates of the first and second row select transistors such that the drains of the first and second row select transistors are shared and coupled together through the semiconductor material of the common junction. The pixel cells are organized into a rows and columns with bitlines.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a light receiving circuit configured to convert light into an electrical signal, a readout circuit configured to read out an analog signal corresponding to the electrical signal, a ΔΣ A/D converter configured to convert the analog signal into a digital signal, and a control circuit configured to change a gain of the photoelectric conversion apparatus in accordance with a change of a driving mode of the photoelectric conversion apparatus. The analog signal read out by the readout circuit is an analog current signal. The readout circuit includes a variable resistor on a signal path for supplying the analog current signal to the ΔΣ A/D converter. The control circuit changes the gain of the photoelectric conversion apparatus by changing a resistance value of the variable resistor.

There is provided in one embodiment an apparatus having an image sensor array. In one embodiment, the image sensor array can include monochrome pixels and color sensitive pixels. The monochrome pixels can be pixels without wavelength selective color filter elements. The color sensitive pixels can include wavelength selective color filter elements.

Solid-state imaging devices are disclosed. In one example, a solid-state imaging device includes detection pixels that each output a luminance change of incident light, a detection circuit that outputs an event signal based on the luminance change, and a first common line connecting the detection pixels to each other. Each of the detection pixels may include a photoelectric conversion element, a logarithmic conversion circuit that outputs a voltage signal corresponding to a logarithmic value of photocurrent from the photoelectric conversion element, a first circuit that outputs a luminance change of incident light based on the voltage signal, a first transistor connected between the photoelectric conversion element and the logarithmic conversion circuit, and a second transistor connected between the photoelectric conversion element and the first common line. The detection circuit includes a second circuit that outputs the event signal based on the luminance change output from each of the detection pixels.

Solid-state imaging devices are disclosed. In one example, a solid-state imaging device includes detection pixels that each output a luminance change of incident light, a detection circuit that outputs an event signal based on the luminance change, and a first common line connecting the detection pixels to each other. Each of the detection pixels may include a photoelectric conversion element, a logarithmic conversion circuit that outputs a voltage signal corresponding to a logarithmic value of photocurrent from the photoelectric conversion element, a first circuit that outputs a luminance change of incident light based on the voltage signal, a first transistor connected between the photoelectric conversion element and the logarithmic conversion circuit, and a second transistor connected between the photoelectric conversion element and the first common line. The detection circuit includes a second circuit that outputs the event signal based on the luminance change output from each of the detection pixels.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising: pixels; L (L≥3) vertical signal lines disposed on each pixel column; M (M≥2) selection circuits disposed in each pixel, each of the selection circuits respectively connecting one of the pixels to a different vertical signal line; a vertical scanning circuit configured to scan the selection circuits; and a control unit. The control unit sets first operation mode in which the vertical scanning circuit performs a single read scanning operation at a time, and a second operation mode in which the vertical scanning circuit performs multiple read scanning operations at a time. In the first operation mode, the control unit uses first selection circuit out of the M selection circuits for scanning operation. In the second operation mode, the control unit uses a second selection circuit, which is different from the first selection circuit, out of the M selection circuits for scanning operation.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising: pixels; L (L≥3) vertical signal lines disposed on each pixel column; M (M≥2) selection circuits disposed in each pixel, each of the selection circuits respectively connecting one of the pixels to a different vertical signal line; a vertical scanning circuit configured to scan the selection circuits; and a control unit. The control unit sets first operation mode in which the vertical scanning circuit performs a single read scanning operation at a time, and a second operation mode in which the vertical scanning circuit performs multiple read scanning operations at a time. In the first operation mode, the control unit uses first selection circuit out of the M selection circuits for scanning operation. In the second operation mode, the control unit uses a second selection circuit, which is different from the first selection circuit, out of the M selection circuits for scanning operation.

An image pickup apparatus that makes it unnecessary to temporarily stop image pickup performed by an image pickup device to thereby improve operability of the image pickup apparatus, and achieves power saving. In an image pickup apparatus having an electronic viewfinder function, first image signals for live view are acquired by thinning read lines of an image pickup device, and second image signals for AF evaluation value calculation are acquired from the other read lines at a higher speed than the first image signals, for simultaneous output with the first image signals. Reading of the second image signals is started when the state of the object of image data changed or when one photographing mode is changed to another by a user's operation, and is terminated when a reading termination condition set in advance in association with the reading start condition is satisfied.

A dual mode image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes an on-chip sensing array, on-chip analog-to-digital converters, and an on-chip processor. The sensor array has rows and columns of discrete sensor elements. The dual mode image sensor has a scene sensing mode and an image capture mode, which use the same set of imaging optics. The processor includes a dual context register; one being for the scene sensing mode and the other for image capture mode. The scene sensing mode is configured to output results of object sensing, motion detection, focus evaluation and illumination measurement to the analog-to-digital converters. The image capture mode is configured to output captured images to the analog-to-digital converters, which are configured to send the digital data to the processor. The processor is configured to switch from scene sensing mode to image capture mode based upon the scene sensing mode output results.