Provided is a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, each of which includes a photodiode configured to generate a photocharge in a frame including a plurality of unit frames, a floating diffusion node configured to receive the photocharge, a first storage capacitor configured to receive and store a first photocharge generated by the photodiode through the floating diffusion node during a first unit accumulation time period in each of the plurality of unit frames, and a second storage capacitor configured to receive and store a second photocharge generated by the photodiode through the floating diffusion node during a second unit accumulation time period in each of the plurality of unit frames.

The present disclosure relates to a solid state image sensor and electronic equipment that enable degradation in image quality of a captured image to be suppressed even if any pixel in a pixel array is configured as a functional pixel for obtaining desired information in order to obtain information different from a normal image. In a plurality of pixels constituting subblocks provided in an RGB Bayer array constituting a block which is a set of color units, normal pixels that capture a normal image are arranged longitudinally and laterally symmetrically within the subblock, and functional pixels for obtaining desired information other than capturing an image are arranged at the remaining positions. The present disclosure can be applied to a solid state image sensor.

Disclosed is a device for noise reduction using dual conversion gain, which includes an image sensor including a pixel array, the pixel array configured to generate a first pixel signal corresponding to a first conversion gain and a second pixel signal corresponding to a second conversion gain from pixels sharing a floating diffusion region and the image sensor configured to generate first image data and second image data based on the first pixel signal and the second pixel signal, and an image signal processor that generates an output image based on the first image data and the second image data. The image signal processor includes a normalization circuit that normalizes the first image data based on a dynamic range of the second image data to generate third image data, and a blending circuit that generates the output image based on the second image data and the third image data.

An imaging device 100 includes a pixel array PA. A first period, a third period, and a second period appear in this order in one frame. During the first period, pixel signal readout is performed on at least one first row in the pixel array PA. During the second period, pixel signal readout is performed on at least one second row in the pixel array PA. At least one of the at least one first row or the at least one second row includes two rows in the pixel array PA. During the third period, no pixel signal readout is performed on the rows in the pixel array PA. Each of the first period and the second period is one of the high-sensitivity exposure period and the low-sensitivity exposure period. The third period is the other of the high-sensitivity exposure period and the low-sensitivity exposure period.

A camera assembly for determining depth information for a local area includes a light source assembly, a camera assembly, and a controller. The light source assembly projects pulses of light into the local area. The camera assembly images a portion of the local area illuminated with the pulses. The camera assembly includes augmented pixels, each augmented pixel having a plurality of gates and at least some of the gates have a respective local storage location. An exposure interval of each augmented pixel is divided into intervals associated with the gates, and each local storage location stores image data during a respective interval. The controller reads out, after the exposure interval of each augmented pixel, the image data stored in the respective local storage locations of each augmented pixel to generate image data frames. The controller determines depth information for the local area based in part on the image data frames.

An imaging device includes an imaging unit including a plurality of pixels, respectively including photoelectric converters and charge accumulation nodes that accumulate signal charge. The imaging unit outputs image data based on signals corresponding to the signal charge accumulated in the charge accumulators. The imaging device includes an image processing unit that processes the image data output by the imaging unit. The imaging unit sequentially outputs a plurality of pieces of image data in one frame period by performing readout nondestructively. The image processing unit generates difference image data by determining a difference between two pieces of image data, selects output image data from initial image data and the difference image data, and combines the output image data and normal readout image data included in the plurality of pieces of image data, to generate combination-result image data.

A method that can detect targets is described. The method includes setting an integration time for each of a plurality of readout circuits based on a speed of the target. The readout circuits are configured to read pixels in an image detector. The pixels have a pitch of less than ten micrometers. The integration time is not more than five hundred microseconds and corresponds to a subframe of a fast frame image. The method also includes performing integrations of each readout circuit based on the integration time. Thus, a plurality of subframes are provided. A number of the subframes are averaged to provide the fast frame image.

The present disclosure relates to a solid state image sensor and electronic equipment that enable degradation in image quality of a captured image to be suppressed even if any pixel in a pixel array is configured as a functional pixel for obtaining desired information in order to obtain information different from a normal image. In a plurality of pixels constituting subblocks provided in an RGB Bayer array constituting a block which is a set of color units, normal pixels that capture a normal image are arranged longitudinally and laterally symmetrically within the subblock, and functional pixels for obtaining desired information other than capturing an image are arranged at the remaining positions. The present disclosure can be applied to a solid state image sensor.

A method that can detect targets is described. The method includes setting an integration time for each of a plurality of readout circuits based on a speed of the target. The readout circuits are configured to read pixels in an image detector. The pixels have a pitch of less than ten micrometers. The integration time is not more than five hundred microseconds and corresponds to a subframe of a fast frame image. The method also includes performing integrations of each readout circuit based on the integration time. Thus, a plurality of subframes are provided. A number of the subframes are averaged to provide the fast frame image.

A system for selectively modifying gating rate in a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) is configurable to access first frame metadata associated with a first image frame. The first image frame is captured by performing a first plurality of gate operations to configure the SPAD array to enable photon detection over a frame capture time period. The first plurality of gate operations is performed at a first gating rate such that the first plurality of gate operations comprises a first quantity of gate operations performed over the frame capture time period. The system is further configurable to define a second gating rate based on the first frame metadata and capture a second image frame by performing a second plurality of gate operations to configure the SPAD array to enable photon detection at the second gating rate.