An imaging device with low power consumption is provided. The imaging device includes pixels and an A/D converter circuit. The pixels have a function of holding first imaging data and a function of obtaining differential data between the first imaging data and second imaging data. The A/D converter circuit includes a comparator circuit and a counter circuit. When the output of the pixels corresponds to the differential data, the supply of a clock signal to the counter circuit is stopped.

An imaging device includes. a first terminal to which a first voltage is applied; a second terminal to which a second voltage different from the first voltage is applied; a voltage generator generating a ramp voltage which is a voltage varying with time; a first switching circuit connected to the second terminal and the voltage generator; a second switching circuit connected to the first terminal and the first switching circuit, and pixels each including a photoelectric converter generating a signal, and a signal detection circuit detecting the signal, at least one of the pixels connected to the second switching circuit. The first switching circuit selectively connects one of the second terminal and the voltage generator with the second switching circuit. The second switching circuit selectively connects one of the first voltage terminal and the first switching circuit with the at least one of the pixels.

An imaging device that facilitates pooling processing. A pixel region includes a plurality of pooling modules and an output circuit, the pooling module includes a pooling circuit and a comparison module, the pooling circuit includes a plurality of pixels and an arithmetic circuit, and the comparison module includes a plurality of comparison circuits and a determination circuit. The pixel can obtain a first signal through photoelectric conversion, and can multiply the first signal by a given scaling factor to generate a second signal. The pooling circuit adds a plurality of second signals in the arithmetic circuit to generate a third signal, the comparison module compares a plurality of third signals and outputs the largest third signal to the determination circuit, and the determination circuit determines the largest third signal and binarizes it to generate a fourth signal. In the imaging device, the pooling module performs pooling processing in accordance with the number of pixels and outputs data obtained by the pooling processing.

Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for folded optic stereoscopic imaging, wherein a number of folded optic paths each direct a different one of a corresponding number of stereoscopic images toward a portion of a single image sensor. Each folded optic path can include a set of optics including a first light folding surface positioned to receive light propagating from a scene along a first optical axis and redirect the light along a second optical axis, a second light folding surface positioned to redirect the light from the second optical axis to a third optical axis, and lens elements positioned along at least the first and second optical axes and including a first subset having telescopic optical characteristics and a second subset lengthening the optical path length. The sensor can be a three-dimensionally stacked backside illuminated sensor wafer and reconfigurable instruction cell array processing wafer that performs depth processing.

A solid-state image sensor, comprising a plurality of circuit groups each of which can assume an operating state and a non-operating state, a storage unit configured to store an order of switching the plurality of circuit groups from the non-operating state to the operating state, and a control unit configured to receive, from outside the sensor, a control signal, common to the plurality of circuit groups, for switching the plurality of circuit groups from the non-operating state to the operating state, wherein after receiving the control signal, the control unit sequentially switches, according to the order stored in the storage unit, the plurality of circuit groups from the non-operating state to the operating state at an interval of a period corresponding to an integer multiple of a cycle of a clock signal.

An imaging apparatus includes a plurality of groups one of a part of which has a capacitance changing unit configured to change a capacitance value of an input node.

A method and a system are disclosed that use a double-readout technique to generate timestamps and grayscale values for pixel-specific outputs of a pixel row in a pixel array in which the pixel array forms an image plane and the row of pixels forms an epipolar line of a scanning line on the image plane. For a pixel-specific output that exceeds a threshold, a timestamp value and a grayscale value are generated and associated with the pixel-specific output. If a pixel-specific output does not exceed the threshold and no timestamp is generated (i.e., a missing timestamp), a grayscale value for the pixel-specific output is generated and associated with the pixel-specific output. Timestamps errors may be corrected that may be caused by missing timestamps, timestamps that are associated with pixel clusters and outlier timestamps, i.e., pixel-specific outputs that are not consistent with a monotonic relationship of timestamp values under normal conditions.

A photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric converter, a transistor having a gate to which a voltage corresponding to charges generated by the photoelectric converter is supplied, a control line connected to a first main electrode of the transistor, and a readout unit configured to read out a signal corresponding to a voltage of the gate, and a voltage controller configured to change a voltage of the control line. The readout unit generates a digital signal corresponding to the voltage of the gate, based on a current flowing through a second main electrode of the transistor during a period in which the voltage controller changes the voltage of the control line.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that are capable of suppressing reduction in sensitivity. A current comparison unit receives light incident on a pixel, performs photoelectric conversion to generate a voltage, compares a current generated from the voltage with reference to a first potential line and a reference current generated with reference to a second potential line, the first potential line being one of a power supply line and a grounding line, the second potential line being another one of the power supply line and the grounding line, and outputs a comparison. A feedback unit returns a signal to a source side in the current comparison unit when the current is generated, the signal using the comparison result by the current comparison unit. The feedback unit can perform standby control in the current comparison unit.

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.