A light reception device of the present disclosure includes: a light-receiving section including pixels two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix, the pixels each including a light-receiving element; a row selector that selects the pixels of the light-receiving section in units of one pixel row or a plurality of pixel rows; a column selector that selects the pixels in one pixel row or a plurality of pixel rows selected by the row selector in pixel units; and a controller that controls the column selector. Then, the controller controls the column selector to select the pixels in the one pixel row or the plurality of pixel rows selected by the row selector in units of regions each including a plurality of pixels as a unit, and read out signals of the pixels for each of the regions. In addition, a distance measuring device of the present disclosure uses a light reception device having a configuration described above.

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 imaging element includes a first substrate provided with a photoelectric conversion portion that photoelectrically converts light and generates charge, and a readout circuit that outputs a signal based on the charge generated by the photoelectric conversion portion, a second substrate laminated on the first substrate and provided with a processing portion that processes the signal output from the readout circuit, and a connection portion provided with a bent portion bending in a portion other than the vicinity of the first substrate and the second substrate, and electrically connecting the readout circuit to the processing portion.

A solid-state imaging device includes: a photoelectric conversion element that is disposed on a semiconductor substrate and generates signal charges by photoelectric conversion; a first diffusion layer that holds signal charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion element; a capacitive element that holds signal charges overflowing from the photoelectric conversion element; an amplifier transistor that outputs a signal according to the signal charges in the first diffusion layer; a first contact that is connected to the first diffusion layer; a second contact that is connected to a gate of the amplifier transistor; and a first wire that connects the first contact and the second contact. A shortest distance between the semiconductor substrate and the first wire is less than a shortest distance between the semiconductor substrate and the capacitive element.

In a solid-state imaging element that measures a distance, miniaturization of pixels is facilitated. The solid-state imaging element includes a pixel array unit and a photon number detection unit. In the solid-state imaging element including the pixel array unit and the photon number detection unit, the pixel array unit is provided with a plurality of pixels that generates a predetermined analog signal depending on incidence of a photon and a signal line to which the plurality of pixels is connected in common. Furthermore, in the solid-state imaging element, the photon number detection unit detects the number of photons incident, on the basis of the analog signal transmitted via the signal line.

The present invention relates to an optical biometric sensor comprising: a read-out circuitry controllable for converting analog sensing signals to digital signals, the analog sensing signals being indicative of an image acquired by an image sensor comprising an array of photodetectors; and a timing circuitry configured to control the read-out circuitry to provide digital signals based on a present data transfer capacity on a data transfer bus configured to transfer data indicative of the digital signals from the optical biometric sensor to a host device.

The present invention relates to an optical biometric sensor comprising: an image sensor comprising an array of photodetectors, wherein for acquiring sensing signals, the image sensor is controllable to sequentially start exposure of subsets of photodetectors; and a timing circuitry configured to control the start of exposure of a subset of photodetectors based on a present data transfer capacity on a data transfer bus configured to transfer data indicative of the acquired sensing signals from the optical biometric sensor to a host device.

A method is provided for light shielding a charge storage device of an image sensor pixel that includes a photosensitive device and the charge storage device and a dielectric layer covering the photosensitive device and the charge storage device. The method includes performing etching of the dielectric layer to define an undercut volume beneath the dielectric layer and an access opening through the dielectric layer to the undercut volume, and performing physical vapor deposition (PVD) of a light blocking material to both: fill the undercut volume with the light blocking material to form a light blocking layer covering the charge storage device, and fill the access opening with the light blocking material to form a light blocking plug. An image sensor pixel formed by such a process, and an image sensor comprising an array of image sensor pixels, are also disclosed.

A depth sensor for measuring a distance to an object and an image signal processor configured to change a binning mode based on ambient light are provided. A method for operating a depth sensor for measuring a distance to an object includes outputting a pixel signal from at least one depth pixel included in a pixel array, generating ambient light information based on an intensity of ambient light outside the depth sensor, the intensity of the ambient light being measured using the pixel signal, and setting a binning mode of the depth sensor to an analog binning mode or a digital binning mode based on the ambient light parameter value.

An image sensor may include control circuitry, a plurality of pixels, and an image processor. Each pixel includes a photodetector, at least first and second storage nodes, and transfer circuitry. The transfer circuitry is responsive to control signals generated by the control circuitry to transfer first charges generated by the photodetector during a first exposure time within a frame period to the first storage node. Second charges may be generated by the photodetector during a second, longer exposure time during the frame period, and transferred to the second storage node. The image processor may generate image frame data based on output voltage samples derived from the first and second charges of each of the plurality of pixels.