An image sensor may include an array of image sensor pixels. The array of image sensor pixels may be controlled by row driver circuitry. The row driver circuitry may include row drivers that receive power supply signals from transconductance amplifier circuitry. The transconductance amplifier circuitry may include multiple amplifiers with output ports shorted to one another. Each amplifier may include input transistors, cross-coupled transistors with a low threshold voltage, and additional transistors coupled in series with the cross-coupled transistors and having a moderate or high threshold voltage.

A group selection circuit includes an input block suitable for receiving a last column select signal of a previous column switch group and a last column select signal of a current column switch group; and a group selection block suitable for generating a group select signal that is activated from a first edge of the last column select signal of the previous column switch group to a first edge of the last column select signal of the current column switch group, in response to an output signal of the input block.

When a time at which a first pulsed light starts arriving at pixels after being reflected by an object is a first time, a time at which the first pulsed light finishes arriving at the pixels is a second time, and a time at which a second pulsed light starts arriving at the pixels after being reflected by the object is a third time, a control circuit decreases sensitivity of the pixels in first part of a first period from the first time including the second time, to a level lower than the sensitivity of the pixels in at least part of a second period after the first period and up to the third time, and increases the sensitivity of the pixels in second part of the first period, to a level higher than the sensitivity of the pixels in the at least part of the second period.

A solid-state imaging device includes a photodetecting section, a vertical shift register section, first row selection lines, and second row selection lines. The vertical shift register section provides the row selection lines of the m-th row with common row selection signals.

Row-by-row pixel read-out is executed concurrently within respective clusters of pixels of a pixel array, alternating the between descending and ascending progressions in the intra-cluster row readout sequence to reduce temporal skew between neighboring pixel rows in adjacent clusters.

An image pick-up apparatus and a progressive auto-focus method thereof are provided. The image pick-up apparatus includes an optical system, an image sensor, a focus circuit and a lens control circuit. In the method, an image is captured by using the image sensor and whether the optical system is in focus when the image sensor captures the image is determined by the focus circuit. If the optical system is out of focus, an in-focus location of the optical system and an in-focus distance for moving the optical system to the in-focus location are calculated by the focus circuit. The in-focus distance is transformed into a shorter progressive distance and the optical system is controlled by the lens control circuit to move by the progressive distance. Aforesaid steps are repeated until the optical system is in focus and the image captured by the image sensor is output.

The present disclosure provides an image sensor and an image collection system. The image sensor includes: a pixel collection circuitry array including a plurality of pixel collection circuitries, each pixel collection circuitry being configured to monitor a change in a light intensity in a field of view and enter a triggered state when the change in the light intensity meets a predetermined condition; a boundary triggered pixel determination array configured to determine a boundary triggered pixel collection circuitry in the pixel collection circuitries in the triggered state; and a reading unit configured to respond to the boundary triggered pixel collection circuitry and output address information about the boundary triggered pixel collection circuitry.

A counter includes a sampling unit suitable for sampling a logic state of a least significant bit (LSB) during a counting hold section, the counting hold section is present between first and second ramp sections; and a toggling control unit suitable for, in response to a clock and a sampling signal outputted from the sampling unit, generating the LSB according to a first voltage level of a counting target signal during a second part of the first ramp section and generating the LSB according to a second voltage level of the counting target signal during a first part of the second ramp section.

An image sensor includes: unit pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix form, each unit pixel having photoelectric converters for converting received light into imaging signals; and filters having different transmission spectra and disposed on light receiving surfaces of the photoelectric converters. The image sensor is configured to: switch between signal processing units with respect to transfer destination of the imaging signals transferred from second transfer lines to a switching unit, based on types of the filters; and output the imaging signals from a single row of the unit pixels to the sample-and-hold units, in a predetermined number of times during one horizontal scanning period by dividing the unit pixels into pixel units each time the imaging signals are output so as to output the imaging signals from the photoelectric converters having the light receiving surfaces on which the filters of different types are disposed in each pixel unit.

Disclosed are a pixel unit, and an imaging method and apparatus thereof. The pixel has a first and a second pixel sub-portion each comprising one or more photodiodes; one or more transfer transistors each coupled to a floating diffusion, for transferring the charges generated by the one or more photodiodes in response to incident light during an exposure period and accumulated in the photodiode during said exposure period respectively to the floating diffusion; a reset transistor; and a source follower transistor coupled to the floating diffusion for amplifying and outputting the pixel signal of the floating diffusion. In some embodiments, the pixel further includes a capacitor and a gain control transistor.