A correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit, an operating method thereof, and an image sensor including the CDS circuit are disclosed. The CDS circuit includes a first comparator configured to operate based on a first bias current, and compare, with a ramp signal, a pixel voltage that is output from a pixel, during a first period and a fourth period during which the pixel operates in a low conversion gain (LCG) mode, a second comparator configured to operate based on a second bias current, and compare, with the ramp signal, the pixel voltage output from the pixel, during a second period and a third period during which the pixel operates in a high conversion gain (HCG) mode, the second period being after the first period, the third period being after the second period, and the fourth period being after the third period.

An image sensor including: a first photodiode; a first circuit including an overflow transistor and a first transfer transistor connected to the first photodiode, a switch element connected to the first transfer transistor and a capacitor disposed between the first transfer transistor and the switch element, wherein the capacitor is a physical capacitor; a second photodiode; and a second circuit including a second transfer transistor connected to the second photodiode, a reset transistor connected to an output of the first circuit and a driving transistor connected to the second transfer transistor and the output of the first circuit.

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.

To prevent an increase in memory capacities in a device for performing image combination.

A data generation unit executes long exposure processing and short exposure processing in sequence, the long exposure processing being performed to generate data including a plurality of pixel data items as long exposure data by performing exposure over a longer time period of two different exposure time periods, the short exposure processing being performed to generate data including a plurality of pixel data items as short exposure data by performing exposure over a shorter time period of the two different exposure time periods after the long exposure processing. A compression unit compresses the long exposure data to generate compression data. A memory holds the compression data over delay time corresponding to the shorter time period of the two exposure time periods. A decompression unit decompresses the held compression data to restore the long exposure data. A combination unit combines the restored long exposure data and the short exposure data.

An image sensor of an image capture device may capture an image. The captured image may be stored in a buffer of two or more previously-captured images. An oldest image of the two or more previously-captured images may be removed from the buffer. An aggregate image of the images in the buffer may be updated. This updating may involve subtracting a representation of the oldest image from the aggregate image, and adding a representation of the captured image to the aggregate image. A viewfinder of the image capture device may display a representation of the aggregate image.

An image sensor may include a pixel array with high dynamic range functionality and phase detection pixels. The phase detection pixels may be arranged in phase detection pixel groups. Each phase detection pixel group may include three adjacent pixels arranged consecutively in a line. A single microlens may cover all three pixels in the phase detection pixel group, or two microlenses may combine to cover the three pixels in the phase detection pixel group. The edge pixels in each phase detection pixel group may have the same integration time and the same color. The middle pixel in each phase detection pixel group may have the same or different color as the edge pixels, and the same or different integration time as the edge pixels. Phase detection pixel groups may also be formed from two pixels that each are 1.5 times the size of neighboring pixels.

Examples of image sensors are described herein. In an example, an image sensor may comprise an array of hybrid pixels, where each hybrid pixel includes light sensing unit and a non-volatile memory component coupled to the light sensing unit. The light sensing unit comprises a light detecting element and a charge to voltage conversion unit. The charge to voltage conversion unit is to provide an output pixel signal (V.sub.PD), based on photo-electrons generated by the light detecting element. Further, the non-volatile component when calibrated to an initial resistance state is to compress the output pixel signal (V.sub.PD) during exposure.

Provided is a solid-state imaging device including: a pixel array section that pixels which detect a physical quantities are arranged in two dimensions of matrix; an AD converting section that performs AD (Analog-Digital) conversion for a plurality of channels of analog pixel signals which are read-out from the pixel array section; and a control section that sets quantized units AD-converted by the AD conversion section according to a gain setting of the unit pixel signal, wherein the control section determines the grayscale number of digital outputs AD-converted for at least one channel of the unit pixel signals according to the gain setting of the pixel signal.

An apparatus and a method for acquiring an image in an electronic device are provided. The method includes acquiring a first image using an image sensor that comprises a plurality of first pixels having a first exposure and a plurality of second pixels having a second exposure, determining a reference exposure value based on image information, adjusting at least one of the first exposure or the second exposure based on the reference exposure value, and acquiring a second image using the image sensor based on exposure control.

An image sensor including: a first control circuit; a plurality of pixels, each including a photodetector, a comparator of the level of an output signal of the photodetector with a reference value, and a second control circuit connected to the first control circuit, the second circuit being capable of sending a signal of address reading request to the first circuit when the pixel turns on, of receiving an address reading acknowledgement signal transmitted by the first circuit, and of deactivating the pixel on reception of the reading acknowledgement signal; and at least one third control circuit capable, when a pixel receives a reading acknowledgement signal, of blocking the transmission of address reading request signals in at least one adjacent pixel.