Provided is an image sensor having a column ADC configuration including, for every pixel row, an analog digital converter (ADC) that converts a pixel signal including an analog signal generated by photoelectric conversion into an output signal including a digital signal. The image sensor includes a plurality of clamp operation units each configured to calculate a reference level based on each output signal of a plurality of ADC groups, and a reference voltage output unit configured to convert a digital signal of the reference level calculated by the clamp operation unit into a reference voltage including an analog signal, and supply the reference voltage to each the ADC that constitutes the ADC group.

An image sensor for reducing channel variation and an image processing system including the same. The image sensor includes first to m.sup.th pixels (m≧2), each of which is connected to a corresponding column line from among first to m.sup.th column lines and is configured to output a respective pixel signal.’ The image sensor further includes first to m.sup.th bias circuits, each of which is connected to a corresponding column line from among the first to m.sup.th column lines and is configured to fix a voltage of the corresponding column line to a bias voltage when a column line-specific pixel is not selected to output the respective pixel signal. An analog-to-digital converter in the image sensor is configured to convert the pixel signals into digital signals.

Disclosed is a temperature distribution measuring device for measuring the temperature distribution or the heat generation distribution in a sample. An embodiment collects a reflection signal the reflectivity of which changes on the basis of a bias signal applied to a sample, detects a signal of interest, which has been reflected from a region of interest in the sample, from the reflected signal, converts the signal of interest to a frequency range signal, calculates the relative amount of change in reflectivity of the sample by using a direct current component extracted on the basis of filtering of the frequency range signal and a frequency component of the bias signal, and acquires a thermal image of the sample on the basis of the relative amount of change in reflectivity.

Optical systems that provide non-uniformity correction devices that are capable of providing low radiance level sources.

The image processing apparatus 104 includes a processor performing a noise reduction on at least part of an input image produced by image capturing using an image capturing system 101, 102, and an acquirer acquiring first information on an optical characteristic of the image capturing system. The optical characteristic indicates a factor that degrades information of an object space in the image capturing of the input image. A processor changes a process of the noise reduction depending on the first information.

A solid-state imaging device includes: a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in rows and columns; a plurality of unit power supply circuits that generate a second power supply voltage from a first power supply voltage based on a reference voltage and supply the second power supply voltage to amplifier transistors provided in the plurality of pixel circuits; and a regulator circuit that generates the reference voltage that is constant. Each of the unit power supply circuits is provided for a corresponding one of the columns of the plurality of pixel circuits or for a corresponding one of the pixel circuits, and supplies the second power supply voltage to the amplifier transistors in the pixel circuits that belong to the corresponding one of the columns or to the amplifier transistor in the corresponding one of the pixel circuits.

A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel array including a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in rows and columns; a vertical signal line that is provided for each of the columns and transmits pixel signals; a column AD circuit that is provided for each of the columns and AD converts the pixel signals from the vertical signal line; a column-switching circuit that is interposed in the vertical signal line between the pixel array and the column AD circuit and switches connection between the vertical signal line and the column AD circuit; a controller that causes the column-switching circuit to switch the connection for every horizontal scan period; and a restoration circuit that restores ordering of the AD converted signals so as to correspond to ordering in which the vertical signal lines are arranged in the pixel array.

An image processor is provided for correcting brightness of saturated pixels of a captured image. The image processor can include a pixel saturation determiner that whether one or more pixels in an image sensor have been saturated by comparing pixel brightness levels of the pixels to a predetermined saturation threshold. Moreover, the image processor includes an image enhancer that generates a corrected image without artifacts due to the saturated pixel(s) by replacing the pixel brightness of the saturated pixel(s) with a pixel correction value that is based on a pixel brightness of one or more unsaturated pixel in the image sensor.

Techniques for controlling a stability of response of a semi-conductor matrix imager composed of pixels, including a first phase of characterizing the stability of the pixels and a second phase of correcting the signals arising from the pixels during the measurements. The pixels are classed into stable pixels and unstable pixels according to a predetermined criterion, the unstable pixels being associated individually with a stable pixel whose characteristics serve as base for correcting signals arising from the unstable pixels.

In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method of calibrating an imaging system in real-time, comprising: obtaining a first reading by a first sensor; establishing a dynamic link between the first reading and exposure time of a second sensor; using the dynamic link to control the exposure time of the second sensor; obtaining a second reading by the second sensor during the controlled exposure time; wherein the steps are performed by one or more computing devices.