An apparatus comprises a generating unit configured to generate a plurality of pieces of RAW data for respective exposure times from RAW data obtained from a sensor that can perform shooting at an exposure time that is different for each pixel, and an encoding unit configured to encode the generated plurality of pieces of RAW data.

A photoelectric conversion device includes a circuit provided between an avalanche photodiode and a power source, a counter configured to count an output signal output from the avalanche photodiode, and a memory into which time information indicating that a count value of the counter has reached a threshold value within a predetermined exposure period shorter than an exposure time is written, wherein a clock signal is configured to be input to the circuit in the exposure period.

An image capturing device includes an image capturing unit capturing an image at a timing based on a first frame rate and outputs data corresponding to the image after a first period, an image data generation unit generating image data based on the output data and outputting the image data after a second period, a display unit displaying a display image based on the image data after the second period and at a timing based on a second frame rate, and a mode selecting unit selecting a first or second mode. The first mode prioritizes reduction in a display delay time. The second mode prioritizes image quality of the display image over reduction in the display delay time. A total period of the first and second periods is less than or equal to a first vertical synchronization period based on the first frame rate when the first mode is selected.

A light source unit, a light receiving unit that includes a distance image sensor in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion device generating electric charge corresponding to incident light and a plurality of electric charge accumulating units accumulating the electric charge and dividing and accumulating the electric charge among the electric charge accumulating units at a predetermined accumulation timing are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix pattern, a distance image processing unit that is configured to acquire a distance from a subject present in the space that is an imaging target, and a timing determining unit that is configured to determine the accumulation timing in the measurement time interval on the basis of an electric charge amount in each of the electric charge accumulating units in an inspection time interval in which the light pulse is not emitted at the accumulation timing are provided.

A method that can detect targets is described. The method includes setting an integration time for each of a plurality of readout circuits based on a speed of the target. The readout circuits are configured to read pixels in an image detector. The pixels have a pitch of less than ten micrometers. The integration time is not more than five hundred microseconds and corresponds to a subframe of a fast frame image. The method also includes performing integrations of each readout circuit based on the integration time. Thus, a plurality of subframes are provided. A number of the subframes are averaged to provide the fast frame image.

A device includes a pixel unit, a selection unit, and a first generation unit. The pixel unit has a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of rows. Each pixel includes a quenching circuit configured to receive a signal for determining start and end of an exposure period and a photodiode coupled to the quenching circuit. The selection unit is configured to simultaneously receive a plurality of clock signals of different periods and select a clock signal to be outputted from the plurality of clock signals. The first generation unit is configured to generate the signal by using the outputted clock.

An image sensor comprises an upper chip including pixels; and a lower chip placed below the upper chip, wherein a pixel of the pixels includes an optical conversion element configured that light is incident on the optical conversion element, a first storage gate or a first storage node which is electrically connected to the optical conversion element and configured to store electric charge transferred from the optical conversion element during a first time interval, and a second storage gate or a second storage node which is electrically connected to the optical conversion element and configured to store the electric charge transferred from the optical conversion element during a second time interval different from the first time interval, the pixel is configured to generate a first pixel signal on the basis of the electric charge stored in the first storage gate, the lower chip includes a frame buffer.

An image sensor includes a first semiconductor substrate provided with a pixel, including a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light to generate an electric charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, and a second semiconductor substrate provided with a supply unit for the pixel, the supply unit supplying the transfer unit with a transfer signal to transfer the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit.

An image sensor includes a first semiconductor substrate provided with a pixel, including a photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light to generate an electric charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit, and a second semiconductor substrate provided with a supply unit for the pixel, the supply unit supplying the transfer unit with a transfer signal to transfer the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the accumulation unit.

Imaging devices are disclosed. In one example, an imaging device includes a pixel array with light-receiving pixels that are separated pixel lines, and that accumulating electric charge in an accumulation period. An exposure controller sets time lengths of the accumulation such that the time lengths repeat in predetermined order. The accumulation period includes a first accumulation period and a second accumulation period each having a first time length, and a third accumulation period and a fourth accumulation period each having a second time length. A processor generates image data by adding pixel values based on the accumulation result in a first pixel line in the first accumulation period, the accumulation result in a second pixel line in the second accumulation period, the accumulation result in the first pixel line in the third accumulation period, and the accumulation result in the second pixel line in the fourth accumulation period.