An image sensor includes ADCs, each including a comparator receiving a ramp signal and an image signal, and generating a comparator output. Each ADC also includes a counter ceasing to change a digital count value in response to a change in the comparator output. The digital count value has a first resolution. Each ADC also includes a delay line circuit including a delay line generating a first digital value encoding a duration of a period of the counter clock and generating a second digital value encoding a first portion of the period of the counter clock. Each ADC also includes a delay to digital circuit generating a digital output value based on the first and digital values. The digital output value encodes a second value of the ramp signal, where the digital count value has a second resolution that is greater than the first resolution.

A plurality of comparison circuits each including a first terminal for inputting a first analog signal and a second analog signal and a second terminal connected to a wiring for transmission of a ramp signal A first operation changes an electric potential of the wiring from a predetermined electric potential to a first electric potential to cause at least one of the plurality of comparison circuits to retain a first offset. A second operation, after the first operation, converts the first analog signal into a digital signal. A third operation, after the second operation, changes the electric potential of the wiring to an electric potential included in a range of from the predetermined electric potential to the first electric potential. A fourth operation, after the third operation, converts the second analog signal into a digital signal.

An imaging device includes a pixel array, a first converter, a second converter, a first ramp signal generation circuit that is disposed closer to the first converter than to the second converter and supplies a first ramp signal to the first converter and the second converter, a first connection line having one end connected to an output terminal of the first ramp signal generation circuit and including a portion extending away from an input terminal of the first converter in a path from the one end to the other end of the first connection line, and a second connection line having one end connected to the other end of the first connection line and the other end connected to the input terminal and including a portion extending closer to the input terminal in a path from the one end to the other end of the second connection line.

An integrating Analog-to-digital converter has a global counter that outputs a counter code signal including a multiphase signal. It also has a column circuit including: a ramp wave generation circuit outputting a ramp wave voltage; a comparator comparing the ramp wave voltage with a pixel voltage; and a latch circuit latching the counter code signal at output inversion timing of the comparator. An output value of the latch circuit is used as a digital conversion output value per the column circuit. The counter has a phase division circuit outputting, as an LSB of the digital conversion output value of the integrating analog-to-digital converter, a phase division signal to the latch circuit, the phase division signal dividing a phase of the counter code signal. The phase division circuit is arranged to a plurality of column circuits, and the LSB is shared by a plurality of phase division circuits.

A column analog-to-digital converter and the local counting method is provided. The column analog-to-digital converter includes a plurality of analog-to-digital converters in parallel. Each of the analog-to-digital converters includes a comparator and a counting circuit. The comparator compares the ramp voltage with one of the plurality of column signals to generate a comparator output signal. The counting circuit generates a local clock by means of a voltage-controlled oscillator of the counting circuit according to the base clock and the comparator output signal, counts the base clock and the local clock respectively to generate a first counting output and a second counting output, and combines the first counting output with the second counting output to generate the counting output.

There is provided an imaging device including a pixel array section including pixel units two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix pattern, each pixel unit including a photoelectric converter, and a plurality of column signal lines disposed according to a first column of the pixel units. The imaging device further includes an analog to digital converter that is shared by the plurality of column signal lines.

Described are apparatus and methods to calibrate and align multiple high-speed clock domains. A system includes at least two clock domains, a launch circuit connected to each of the at least two domains, and a calibration circuit. Each clock domain including a resettable device having a local reset retime clock. The launch circuit aligns a reset pulse with the local reset retime clock by using a launch clock from one of the domains, where the reset pulse is incoherent with respect to the domains, adjusts a delay of the launch clock to control a launch time of the reset pulse, and sends the reset pulse based on the delayed launch clock. The calibration circuit samples a local reset retime delayed clock to generate a readback signal. The launch circuit and the calibration circuit iterate through selected delays until safe arrival timing is indicated from each readout.

The present technology relates to a comparator that can easily modify operating point potential of the comparator, and an imaging device. A pixel signal output from a pixel, and, a reference signal with changeable voltage are input to a differential pair. A current mirror connected to the differential pair, and a voltage drop mechanism allowed to cause a predetermined voltage drop is connected between a transistor that configures the differential pair, and a transistor that configures the current mirror. A switch is connected in parallel to the voltage drop mechanism. The present technology can be applied, for example, to an image sensor that captures an image.

A method for inputting and/or outputting signals having a selectable sample rate in a time-synchronized manner on a group of input and/or output channels of an electronic circuit includes: configuring each channel of the group at a standard sample period; synchronously initiating all the channels of the group at the standard sample period; detecting an entry for a modified sample period T.sub.Period of a first channel of the group; detecting a current counter value T.sub.Counter; configuring the first channel at the modified sample period; establishing a waiting time of T.sub.Waiting clocks in accordance with T.sub.Waiting=T.sub.Period−mod(T.sub.Counter, T.sub.Period), where mod(T.sub.Counter, T.sub.Period) denotes the division remainder from the current counter value T.sub.Counter and the modified sample period T.sub.Period; and initiating the first channel after the waiting time T.sub.Waiting.

An image sensor includes a pixel array including first pixels and second pixels, each of the first and second pixels including photodiodes, a sampling circuit detecting a reset voltage and a pixel voltage from the first and second pixels and generating an analog signal, an analog-to-digital converter image data from the analog signal, and a signal processing circuit generating an image using the image data. Each of the first pixels includes a first conductivity-type well separating the photodiodes and having impurities of a first conductivity-type. The photodiodes have impurities of a second conductivity-type different from the first conductivity-type. Each of the second pixels includes a second conductivity-type well separating the photodiodes and having impurities of the second conductivity-type different from the first conductivity-type. A potential level of the second conductivity-type well is higher than a potential level of the first conductivity-type well.