An apparatus for acquiring an image includes an image sensor, a light compensator, and a light filter assembly. The image sensor is on a light output side of the light filter assembly, and is configured to generate and output a first image signal and a second image signal by a plurality of exposures. The first image signal is generated according to a first preset exposure and the second image signal is generated according to a second preset exposure, and they are two of the plurality of exposures. The light compensator includes a first light compensation apparatus, the first light compensation apparatus is configured to perform near-infrared light compensation, and the near-infrared light compensation is performed in at least part of an exposure period of the first preset exposure but is not performed in an exposure period of the second preset exposure.

Provided is an information processing apparatus capable of further enhancing an effect of reducing blurring or noise in an image at the time of MFNR. An information processing apparatus including a control unit that selects a reference image from a plurality of images continuously captured by an image capturing apparatus, on the basis of information of the image capturing apparatus acquired by an inertial sensor when each of the images is captured, and superimposes remaining images on the reference image while performing alignment with the reference image, to combine the images into one image.

The present invention provides a dual conversion gain image sensor comprising: a pixel circuit, through which pixel power supply voltage noise is transferred to a bit line; a power supply noise cancellation circuit with an input to which the pixel power supply voltage is applied, the power supply noise cancellation circuit mimicly producing a first transfer function with the aid of a low conversion gain path, the power supply noise cancellation circuit mimicly producing a second transfer function with the aid of a high conversion gain path; and a comparator. According to the present invention, the low and high conversion gain paths are two independent power supply noise cancellation paths that result in different transfer functions capable of tracking the variation of the pixel power supply voltage in low and high conversion gain modes.

An image sensor and an image sensing method are provided. The image sensor includes a photodiode, a first storage circuit, a first readout circuit, a second storage circuit, and a second readout circuit. When the image sensor is operated in a dynamic vision sensing mode, the first storage circuit stores a first dynamic vision sensing signal provided by the photodiode during a first exposure period of a first frame period, and the second storage circuit stores a second dynamic vision sensing signal provided by the photodiode during a second exposure period of the first frame period. The first readout circuit and the second readout circuit output a first readout signal and a second readout signal to a first input terminal and a second input terminal of a differential amplifier at the same time according to the first dynamic vision sensing signal and the second dynamic vision sensing signal.

An image processing device includes an imaging element. The imaging element includes a pixel unit including a photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert light to electric charge and a charge accumulating unit configured to accumulate the electric charge and a column AMP configured to amplify a signal output from the pixel unit with different gains, and outputs a plurality of image signals with different gains applied thereto through one exposure. The image processing device further includes an image synthesizing unit configured to generate a synthetic image signal by synthesizing the plurality of image signals. An image synthesis control unit configured to control the image synthesizing unit determines synthesis proportions of the plurality of image signals in the synthetic image signal according to a common capacity of the charge accumulating unit when the capacity of the charge accumulating unit is shared by the plurality of image signals.

An output stage circuit including a current source circuit, a bias circuit, and an output circuit is provided. The bias circuit is coupled between the current source circuit and a ground terminal voltage. The output circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, and a load circuit. A control terminal of the first transistor is coupled to the bias circuit. The load circuit is coupled to a second terminal of the first transistor. A second terminal of the second transistor is coupled to a first terminal of the first transistor. A first terminal of the third transistor is coupled to the second terminal of the first transistor.

In order to improve linearity characteristics in synthesis processing for expanding a dynamic range, an image pickup apparatus comprising an AD conversion unit for performing AD conversion of input signals by comparing a first ramp signal or a second ramp signal; a first synthesis unit for synthesizing a first signal AD converted using the first ramp signal and a second signal AD converted using the second ramp signal; a first correction unit for correcting a level difference between the first signal and the second signal when the first signal and the second signal are synthesized; an amplifier for amplifying pixel signals by different gains; a second synthesis unit for synthesizing the signals amplified by the different gains; and a second correction unit for correcting a level difference between the signals amplified by the different gains when the signals amplified by the different gains are synthesized.

A back-illuminated single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) image sensor includes a sensor wafer stacked vertically over a circuit wafer. The sensor wafer includes one or more SPAD regions, with each SPAD region including an anode gradient layer, a cathode region positioned adjacent to a front surface of the SPAD region, and an anode avalanche layer positioned over the cathode region. Each SPAD region is connected to a voltage supply and an output circuit in the circuit wafer through inter-wafer connectors. Deep trench isolation elements are used to provide electrical and optical isolation between SPAD regions.

A solid-state imaging device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a mode-switching switch section that, in a first mode, electrically couples a first signal path to a photoelectric conversion section and electrically decouples a second signal path from the photoelectric conversion section, and that, in a second mode, electrically couples both of the first signal path and the second signal path to the photoelectric conversion section. At least the photoelectric conversion section is formed in a first substrate, and at least a second amplification transistor is formed in a second substrate, among the first substrate and the second substrate stacked on each other.

An image processing apparatus comprises: at least one processor or circuit configured to perform the operations of following units: an obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of image signals being composed of image signals shot wider different shooting conditions; a determination unit configured to determine a composition rate in order to composite an image signal that has the predetermined shooting condition with a noise-reduced image that has the predetermined shooting condition, in accordance with an inter-frame change amount and a parameter indicating the predetermined shooting condition; a noise reduction unit configured to composite the image signal with the noise-reduced image using the composition rate to generate a new noise-reduced image; and a composition unit configured to composite the new noise-reduced image and an image signal that has another shooting condition.