In a solid-state image sensor that detects presence or absence of an address event, erroneous detection of the address event is suppressed. Each of a plurality of pixels executes detection processing for detecting whether or not a change amount of an incident light amount exceeds a predetermined threshold, and outputting a detection result. An abnormal pixel determination unit determines whether or not each of the plurality of pixels has an abnormality, and enables a pixel without an abnormality and disables a pixel with an abnormality. A control unit performs control for causing the enabled pixel to execute detection processing and control for fixing the detection result of the disabled pixel to a specific value.

An image sensing device is provided to include a pixel array comprising a first pixel group and a second pixel group, each pixel configured to sense a distance to a target object in response to modulated light that is incident on the pixel array; a first modulation driver configured to supply, to the first pixel group, a first modulation control signal and a second modulation control signal; and a second modulation driver configured to supply, to the second pixel group, a third modulation control signal and a fourth modulation control signal, wherein the first and second modulation drivers are independently controlled from each other such that at least one of the first modulation control signal, the second modulation control signal, the third modulation control signal, or the fourth modulation control signal has a phase difference from the modulated light.

Image sensing devices are disclosed. An image sensing device includes a first pixel group including a plurality of first image sensing pixels to convert light into electrical charges and a first conversion gain transistor coupled to the plurality of first image sensing pixels, a second pixel group including a plurality of second image sensing pixels to convert light into electrical charges and a second conversion gain transistor coupled to the plurality of second image sensing pixels, the second pixel group disposed adjacent to the first pixel group, and a conversion gain capacitor to electrically couple the first conversion gain transistor to the second conversion gain transistor to provide a capacitance to the first and second image sensing pixels. The conversion gain capacitor comprises a first conductive line to include a region having a ring type shape and a second conductive line disposed adjacent to the first conductive line.

A sensor system includes a sensor array and a gradation determination section. The sensor array includes a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor is configured to detect, with a first sensitivity, a variation in a quantity of light at a first pixel address. The second sensor is configured to detect, with a second sensitivity that is lower than the first sensitivity, a variation in a quantity of light at a second pixel address that is adjacent to or coincides with the first pixel address. The gradation determination section is configured to determine, when the first sensor generates a first event signal in response to a luminance variation event, a gradation of an object having caused the luminance variation event to occur, depending on whether or not the second sensor generates a second event signal in response to the luminance variation event.

A gain adjustment unit calculates a total sum of analog gains on a way from photoelectric conversion output of an image pickup device to input of an analog/digital conversion circuit with use of picked-up images provided from the analog/digital conversion circuit, the analog/digital conversion circuit being configured to convert an output of an analog processing section into a digital signal, the analog processing section being configured to transmit and amplify an image pickup signal from the image pickup device, the image pickup device being provided at an insertion portion of an endoscope, and determines, as an adjustment gain, a difference between a target value of a total sum of gains and the total sum of the analog gains, and output information.

Embodiments of the present application disclose light field collection control methods and apparatuses and light field collection devices, wherein one light field collection control method comprises: acquiring an aperture parameter of a main lens of a light field camera;

determining, according to the main lens aperture parameter, in an image sensor of the light field camera, a local part of an imaging region corresponding to at least one sub-lens in a sub-lens array of the light field camera as a first imaging region; adjusting pixel density distribution of the image sensor, to cause pixel density of the first imaging region after adjustment to be distinguished from that of other parts of the imaging region; and performing light field collection on a scene via the adjusted light field camera. The embodiments of the present application may improve utilization of image sensor pixels in a process of performing light field collection on a scene based on a light field camera, and improve imaging quality of light field images.

In an active pixel image sensor using CMOS technology formed within a substrate of a first type of conductivity P, each pixel comprises a photosensitive element PHD producing charges under the effect of light and a structure for multiplication of charges EM. The multiplication structure comprises at least one isolated multiplication gate G1, G2 adjacent to a pinned diode DI at a fixed internal potential V.sub.bi, and the isolated gate is adapted for receiving a series of alternations of potentials, alternately creating under the isolated gate a charge collection well and a barrier, relative to the internal potential level of the diode DI. The isolated gate and the semiconductor region under the isolated gate are configured in such a manner that the charge collection well created under the gate comprises two parts: a first part a, adjacent to the pinned diode, at a potential level further from the photodiode internal potential level than that of a second part b, this second part being adjacent or not to the pinned diode.

A pixel signal transfer device includes a transfer block suitable for transferring a pixel output voltage according to an amount of a charge generated from a pixel; a correction block suitable for correcting the pixel output voltage using a threshold voltage of an amplification transistor; and a conversion gain adjusting block including the amplification transistor, the conversion gain adjusting block being suitable for adjusting a conversion gain of the corrected pixel output voltage outputted from the correction block.

The effect of ambient light on a measurement taken by an imaging pixel may be reduced by employing two optical filters. The two filters may have narrow passbands that are close to each other but do not overlap. The first filter may allow ambient and active light to pass. The second filter may allow ambient light to pass but may block active light. The ambient and active light that passes through the first filter may cause electrical charge to be generated in a photodiode of the pixel. The ambient light that passes through the second filter and strikes another pixel element may control the amperage of an electrical current that depletes charge from the photodiode. For instance, the other element may be a photoresistor, the light-dependent resistance of which controls the amperage, or may be a second photodiode that generates charge that controls a transistor that controls the amperage.

An imaging device that makes it possible to smoothly transfer electric charges from a photoelectric converter to a transfer destination is provided. This imaging device includes: a semiconductor layer having a front surface and a back surface, the back surface being on an opposite side of the front surface; photoelectric converter that is embedded in the semiconductor layer and generates electric charges corresponding to a received light amount; and a transfer section that includes a first trench gate and a second trench gate and transfers the electric charges from the photoelectric converter to a single transfer destination via the first trench gate and the second trench gate, the first trench gate and the second trench gate each extending from the front surface to the back surface of the semiconductor layer into the photoelectric converter. The first trench gate has a first length from the front surface to the photoelectric converter, and the second trench gate has a second length from the front surface to the photoelectric converter, the second length being shorter than the first length.