A solid-state imaging device according to an embodiment includes a photoelectric conversion unit, a charge transfer unit configured to transfer a charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit, a first charge modulation unit to which the charge is transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit by the charge transfer unit, a second charge modulation unit, a charge accumulation unit configured to accumulate a charge overflowing from the photoelectric conversion unit during an accumulation period, a modulation switching unit configured to couple or divide the first charge modulation unit and the second charge modulation unit, and a capacitance connection unit configured to couple or divide the second charge modulation unit and the charge accumulation unit, in which, in a state of the first charge modulation unit alone and a state where the first charge modulation unit and the second charge modulation unit are coupled by the modulation switching unit, the charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit is modulated into a voltage signal, and voltage signals having different conversion efficiencies are continuously read, and the charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion unit and the charge overflowing from the photoelectric conversion unit during the accumulation period are modulated into a voltage signal and the voltage signal is read in a capacitance obtained by coupling the first charge modulation unit, the second charge modulation unit, and the charge accumulation unit.

In an embodiment a pixel arrangement includes a photodetector configured to accumulate charge carriers by converting electromagnetic radiation, a transfer transistor electrically coupled to the photodetector, a diffusion node electrically coupled to the transfer transistor, a reset transistor electrically coupled to the diffusion node and to a pixel supply voltage and a sample-and-hold stage including at least a first capacitor and a second capacitor, an input of the sample-and-hold stage being electrically coupled to the diffusion node via an amplifier, wherein the transfer transistor is configured to be pulsed to different voltage levels for transferring parts of the accumulated charge carriers to the diffusion node, wherein at least the second capacitor is configured to store a low conversion gain signal representing a first part of the accumulated charge carriers, and wherein the first capacitor is configured to store a high conversion gain signal representing a remaining part of the accumulated charge carriers.

A method, apparatus and system are described providing a high dynamic range pixel. An integration period has multiple sub-integration periods during which charges are accumulated in a photosensor and repeatedly transferred to a storage node, where the charges are accumulated for later transfer to another storage node for output.

The present technology relates to an image sensor, an imaging device, and a ranging device capable of performing imaging so that noise is reduced. A photoelectric conversion unit configured to perform photoelectric conversion; a charge accumulation unit configured to accumulate charges obtained by the photoelectric conversion unit; a transfer unit configured to transfer the charges from the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge accumulation unit; a reset unit configured to reset the charge accumulation unit; a reset voltage control unit configured to control a voltage to be applied to the reset unit; and an additional control unit configured to control addition of capacitance to the charge accumulation unit are included. The charge accumulation unit includes a plurality of regions. The present technology can be applied to, for example, an imaging device that captures an image and a ranging device that performs ranging.

In one example, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a photodiode, a charge sensing unit, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a controller. The controller is configured to: enable the photodiode to generate charge in response to incident light, accumulate at least a portion of the charge as residual charge until the photodiode becomes saturated by the residual charge, and transfer the remaining portion of the charge to the charge sensing unit as overflow charge if the photodiode becomes saturated by the residual charge. The controller is further configured to: generate, using the ADC, a first digital output based on the residual charge; after generating the first digital output, generate, using the ADC, a second digital output based on the overflow charge; and generate a digital representation of an intensity of the incident light based on at least one of the first digital output or the second digital output.

Methods and systems for quantizing a physical quantity, such as light, are provided. In one example, an apparatus comprises an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter configured to generate raw digital outputs based on performing at least one of: (1) a first quantization operation to quantize a physical stimulus within a first intensity range based on a first A/D conversion relationship, or (2) a second quantization operation to quantize the physical stimulus within a second intensity range based on a second A/D conversion relationship; and a raw output conversion circuit configured generate a refined digital output based on a raw digital output obtained from the A/D converter and at least one predetermined conversion parameter. The at least one conversion parameter compensates for a discontinuity between the first A/D conversion relationship and the second A/D conversion relationship.

An electronic device includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a sensing circuit coupled to at least one of the first transistor and the second transistor. The sensing circuit includes a diode, a third transistor, and a fourth transistor. The diode has a first terminal. The third transistor has a first terminal and a second terminal. The first terminal of the third transistor is coupled to the first terminal of the diode. The fourth transistor has a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor, and a second terminal coupled to a data driver.

According to the present disclosure, an imaging element may include: a substrate or a well; a pinned photodiode disposed on the substrate; a floating diffusion region disposed on the substrate or the well; a first transfer gate transistor disposed between the pinned photodiode and the floating diffusion region a photodiode signal charge generated by the pinned photodiode to the floating diffusion region; one or more gate-controlled storages disposed on the substrate and storing a signal charge generated by the pinned photodiode as a storage signal charge; a storage-controlling gate electrode disposed adjacent to the gate-controlled storage; an overflow path disposed between the pinned photodiode and the gate-controlled storage and transferring the storage signal charge from the pinned photodiode to the gate-controlled storage; and a detecting node connected to the floating diffusion region, wherein the photodiode signal charge and the storage signal charge can be read at the detecting node.

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 imaging device includes: pixels that are disposed in a row direction and a column direction and that include a first pixel and a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel along the row direction; a shield electrode located between the first pixel and the second pixel; a first shield via that extends from the shield electrode. The first pixel includes: a first photoelectric conversion layer that converts incident light to generate charge; and a first pixel electrode that collects the charge generated thereby. The second pixel includes: a second photoelectric conversion layer that converts incident light to generate charge; and a second pixel electrode that collects the charge generated thereby. The shield electrode is electrically isolated from the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode, and the first shield via is located between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode in a plan view.