Embodiments described herein generally relate to: sensing and/or authentication using luminescence imaging; diagnostic assays, systems, and related methods; temporal thermal sensing and related methods; and/or to emissive species, such as those excitable by white light, and related systems and methods.

A timing of the readout from an imaging circuit is controlled from the outside of the imaging circuit. An exposure control signal receiving section is configured to receive, from outside, an exposure control signal that controls a timing at which plural pixels are exposed. A control signal receiving section is configured to receive, from the outside, a readout control signal that controls a timing at which the plural pixels are read out. A vertical driving control signal generating section is configured to generate, on the basis of the exposure control signal and the readout control signal, a vertical driving control signal that generates a control signal for exposure and readout with respect to each of pixel columns of a pixel section. A vertical driving circuit is configured to drive and control each of the pixel columns according to the vertical driving control signal.

An image-capturing device includes a sensor, a visible-light-pixel driver, and a non-visible-light-pixel driver. The sensor is configured to have a plurality of visible light pixels having sensitivity to visible light and a plurality of non-visible light pixels having sensitivity to non-visible light. The visible-light-pixel driver controls light exposure to the visible light pixels and a reading operation for charges generated by photoelectric conversion of the visible light pixels resulting from the light exposure. The non-visible-light-pixel driver performs the light exposure to previously-set every two or more non-visible light pixels at the time of the light exposure to the non-visible light pixels and the reading operation, sums the charges generated by the photoelectric conversion of the two or more non-visible light pixels resulting from the light exposure, and creates the distance image on the basis of the summed charges.

An imaging device includes a photoelectric converter that converts light into signal charge, a charge accumulation region that accumulates the signal charge, a first transistor having a gate connected to the charge accumulation region, and a common gate amplifier circuit that amplifies an output of the first transistor to output to the charge accumulation region. The common gate amplifier circuit includes a second transistor. One of a source and a drain of the second transistor is connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor, and the other of the source and the drain of the second transistor is connected to the charge accumulation region.

An imaging device includes a photoelectric converter that converts light into signal charge, a charge accumulation region that accumulates the signal charge, a first transistor having a gate connected to the charge accumulation region, and a common gate amplifier circuit that amplifies an output of the first transistor to output to the charge accumulation region. The common gate amplifier circuit includes a second transistor. One of a source and a drain of the second transistor is connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor, and the other of the source and the drain of the second transistor is connected to the charge accumulation region.

In certain embodiments, an imaging system includes an enclosure with an objective aperture opening into an interior space of the enclosure, an optical assembly optically coupling the objective aperture to an imaging sensor within the enclosure, a shutter mounted to the objective aperture for selectively blocking and admitting illumination through the objective aperture into the interior space, and an illuminator mounted to illuminate the interior space of the enclosure.

An image capturing apparatus includes M detection elements, a readout circuit, and a control pulse providing circuit. Each of the M detection elements includes a detection pixel configured to detect incidence of a photon and a generation circuit configured to generate a readout request and data based on the detection of the photon in the detection pixel. The readout circuit is configured to receive the readout request and the data from each of the M detection elements. The control pulse providing circuit is configured to provide a control pulse to the M detection elements and the readout circuit. The readout circuit determines the generation circuit corresponding to the readout request and a generation timing at which the readout request is generated, based on a counter value of the time counter and the number of delay cycles included in the data corresponding to the received readout request.

An imaging device includes an imaging unit including a plurality of pixels, respectively including photoelectric converters and charge accumulation nodes that accumulate signal charge. The imaging unit outputs image data based on signals corresponding to the signal charge accumulated in the charge accumulators. The imaging device includes an image processing unit that processes the image data output by the imaging unit. The imaging unit sequentially outputs a plurality of pieces of image data in one frame period by performing readout nondestructively. The image processing unit generates difference image data by determining a difference between two pieces of image data, selects output image data from initial image data and the difference image data, and combines the output image data and normal readout image data included in the plurality of pieces of image data, to generate combination-result image data.

The dynamic range of a pixel is increased by using selective photosensor resets during a frame time of image capture at a timing depending on the light intensity that the pixel will be exposed to during the frame time. Pixels that will be exposed to high light intensity are reset later in the frame than pixels that will be exposed to lower light intensity.

An imaging device including a photoelectric converter that converts incident light into an electric charge; a transfer transistor; a first node coupled to the photoelectric converter via the transfer transistor; a first signal detection transistor having a gate coupled to the first node; a second signal detection transistor having a gate coupled to the photoelectric converter; a signal line coupled to one of a source and a drain of the first signal detection transistor; a first transistor coupled to the first node; and a second transistor coupled to the photoelectric converter, wherein one of the source and the drain of the first signal detection transistor is coupled to the first transistor, one of a source and a drain of the second signal detection transistor is coupled to the second transistor, and no transistor is coupled between the photoelectric converter and the gate of the second signal detection transistor.