There is provided an image sensor employing an avalanche diode. The image sensor includes a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in a matrix, a plurality of pulling circuits and a global current source circuit. Each of the plurality of pixel circuits includes a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) and a floating diffusion. Each of the plurality of pulling circuits is arranged corresponding to one pixel circuit column. The global current source circuit is used to form a current mirror with each of the plurality of pulling circuits. The floating diffusion is used to record a voltage of one photon event detected by the SPAD in an exposure period.

The present disclosure provides an imaging device capable of outputting a signal other than an event detection signal, such as a pixel signal at a gradation level. The imaging device has a stacked chip structure formed by stacking at least two semiconductor chips including a first-layer semiconductor chip and a second-layer semiconductor chip. The first-layer semiconductor chip has a pixel array unit in which an event pixel that outputs an event detection signal, and a distance measurement pixel are mixed. The second-layer semiconductor chip is provided with an analog front-end unit for an event pixel that processes the event detection signal and with an analog front-end unit for a distance measurement pixel that processes the signal from the light-receiving element, corresponding to each of the event pixel and the distance measurement pixel.

The present disclosure provides an imaging device capable of outputting a signal other than an event detection signal, such as a pixel signal at a gradation level. The imaging device has a stacked chip structure formed by stacking at least two semiconductor chips including a first-layer semiconductor chip and a second-layer semiconductor chip. The first-layer semiconductor chip has a pixel array unit in which an event pixel that outputs an event detection signal, and a distance measurement pixel are mixed. The second-layer semiconductor chip is provided with an analog front-end unit for an event pixel that processes the event detection signal and with an analog front-end unit for a distance measurement pixel that processes the signal from the light-receiving element, corresponding to each of the event pixel and the distance measurement pixel.

The present invention relates to a high-speed imaging sensor system in which single-photon detectors are provided in an architecture adapted for high-speed processing of the output of the detectors with high reliability to filter out false positives.

The present invention relates to a high-speed imaging sensor system in which single-photon detectors are provided in an architecture adapted for high-speed processing of the output of the detectors with high reliability to filter out false positives.

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for imaging a scene. The method includes generating a shutter pattern and applying the shutter pattern to a photodetector array. The system includes a sensor architecture in three dimensions, where elements of the sensor architecture are stacked in two or more layers. Some elements of the sensor architecture include a photodetector array, register array, a generator to generate shutter patterns, readout circuitry, and an ISP.

A photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel, the pixel including an avalanche photodiode, and a signal processing circuit including a counter configured to generate a count value based on a photon incident on the avalanche photodiode during a count period, the signal processing circuit being configured to output the count value for each count period repeatedly. The pixel transitions from a first state to a second state in which a length of the count period is shorter than that in the first state in accordance with a result of determination based on the count value and a predetermined threshold value.

A photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel, the pixel including an avalanche photodiode, and a signal processing circuit including a counter configured to generate a count value based on a photon incident on the avalanche photodiode during a count period, the signal processing circuit being configured to output the count value for each count period repeatedly. The pixel transitions from a first state to a second state in which a length of the count period is shorter than that in the first state in accordance with a result of determination based on the count value and a predetermined threshold value.

A device includes a conversion unit, a generation unit configured to generate a pulse signal based on a signal from the conversion unit, a counter circuit configured to count the generated pulse signal, and a time measurement circuit configured to measure a time wherein one of a count value counted by the counter circuit or a time measurement value measured by the time measurement circuit is selectively output.

In accordance with some embodiments, systems, methods, and media for motion adaptive imaging using single-photon image sensor data are provided. In some embodiments, the system comprises: an image sensor comprising single-photon detectors in an array; a processor programmed to: receive a sequence of photon frames, each comprising pixels having a value indicative of whether a photon was received during a frame period, each of the pixels corresponds to a pixel location; identify, for each of the pixel locations, changepoints, each indicative of a change in scene brightness; identify a photon frame in the sequence at which at least a threshold change in brightness has occurred based on the changepoints associated with each of the plurality of pixel locations; and generate a series of changepoint frames, wherein each changepoint frame is based on estimated brightness associated with each pixel location at a point in the sequence of photon frames.