An imaging apparatus includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, each pixel being configured to generate an electric signal, and each being configured such that the electric signal can be read out nondestructively, an output amplifier configured to sequentially output electric signals read out nondestructively from the plurality of pixels, and a control unit configured to, in a period when electric signals for one frame of image data are being read out nondestructively from the plurality of pixels, execute nondestructive readout processing a plurality of times for reading out electric signals nondestructively from pixels in a first row, and execute nondestructive readout processing a plurality of times for reading out electric signals nondestructively from pixels in a second row adjacent to the first row. In this case, the control unit resets the output amplifier in a period when the nondestructive readout processing is performed a plurality of times on the pixels of the first row.

An image capture apparatus has an A/D converter that compares a pixel signal read out from a pixel having a photoelectric conversion element with a reference signal whose voltage changes over time, and obtains, as an A/D conversion result of the pixel signal, a digital value corresponding to a time required for a magnitude relationship between the pixel signal and the reference signal to change. The A/D converter determines a level of the pixel signal using a threshold value, makes a change rate of the voltage of the reference signal different depending on a determination result, and changes the threshold value according to a signal expansion amount of the pixel signal after A/D conversion.

An image sensor system with an image sensor that generates a first image and a second image. The first and second images are transmitted to a processor in a time overlapping manner. By way of example, the images may be transferred to the processor in an interleaving manner or provided on separate dedicated busses.

Read electrodes are provided to drain signal charge of pixels from photoelectric conversion units provided in the pixels separately to a vertical transfer unit. During a first exposure period during which an object is illuminated with infrared light, signal charge obtained from a first pixel, and signal charge obtained from a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel, are added together in the vertical transfer unit to produce first signal charge. During a second exposure period during which the object is not illuminated with infrared light, signal charge obtained from the first pixel, and signal charge obtained from the second pixel adjacent to the first pixel, are transferred without being added to the first signal charge in the vertical transfer unit, and are added together in another packet to produce second signal charge.

An image sensor is operated for shutter modulation and high dynamic range, suitable for use with a local lamp. In one example, charge is collected at a photodetector of a photodetector circuit for a first duration for a first mini-exposure. The photodetector charge is transferred to a charge collection node of the photodetector circuit. A portion of the transferred charge is spilled from the charge collection node. Charge is collected at the photodetector for a second duration for a second mini-exposure. The second mini-exposure photodetector charge is transferred to the charge collection node after spilling the portion. The collected charge is read after transferring the second mini-exposure photodetector charge and the spilled portion of the charge is estimated and the spilled portion is added to the collected charge reading to obtain a total charge value for the combined exposures.

A system and method for obtaining, by an electronic device, a first set of image data recorded during an image capture event and a second set of image data recorded during an image capture event. During the image capture event, a characteristic of an image capture device is changed from a first state to a second state. The first and second sets of image data are recorded by an image capture device having one or more image recording components with one or more image sensor arrays. An image is generated based at least in part on the first and second sets of image data.

Apparatuses and methods for charge transfer in image sensors are disclosed. One example of an image sensor pixel may include a first charge storage node and a second charge storage node. A transfer circuit may be coupled between the first and second charge storage nodes, and the transfer circuit may have a first region proximate the first charge storage node and configured to have a first potential. The transfer circuit may also have a second region proximate the second charge storage node configured to have a second, higher potential. An input node may be configured to control the first and second potentials based on a transfer signal provided to the input node.

Systems and methods are provided that capture and process frames of frame data. An image sensor captures frames of frame data representative of light incident upon the image sensor using a rolling shutter and outputs the frames of frame data. The image sensor captures at least one of the frames over a frame capture interval and then waits over a blanking interval before capturing another frame. A buffer receives and stores the frames output by the image sensor. An image signal processor retrieves the frames from the buffer and processes the frames over successive frame processing intervals to generate a video having a time interval per frame greater than the frame capture interval. At least one of the successive frame processing intervals is greater than the frame capture interval and is less than or equal to a sum of the frame capture interval and the blanking interval.

A pixel portion includes a plurality of first pixel rows and a plurality of second pixel rows each being arranged so as to be adjacent to the first pixel row. Among the first pixel row and the second pixel row arranged so as to be adjacent to each other, during at least a part of a period from an end of the electric charge accumulation period in the second pixel row until an end of an output period in which signals from pixels in the first pixel row are output, electric charges accumulated in photoelectric conversion units of pixels in the second pixel row are reset.

An image sensor having global shutter circuitry and an extremely fine pixel pitch. Disclosed image sensors combine global shutter circuitry with rolling shutter circuitry for respective subsets of sensor pixels to marry imaging benefits of global shutter circuitry with relatively small circuit overhead of rolling shutter circuitry. Such image sensors can achieve improved optical performance with smaller pixel pitch and optical resolution than existing global shutter image sensors.