Solid-state image sensor and driving method using gain to set ADC and grayscale outputs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9179073-B2
Application number	US-201213426719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2012
Priority date	Apr 6, 2011
Publication date	Nov 3, 2015
Grant date	Nov 3, 2015

Abstract

A solid-state imaging device is provided that includes a pixel array section having pixels which detect a physical quantities that are arranged in two dimensions of a matrix; an Analog-Digital (AD) converting section that performs AD 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, where the control section determines a 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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:
a pixel array section that includes pixels, which detect a physical quantity, arranged in two dimensions of a matrix;
an Analog Digital (AD) conversion section that performs AD conversion for a plurality of channels of analog pixel signals which are read-out from the pixel array section to obtain digital output; and
a control section that sets quantized units of the AD conversion section for the analog pixel signa…

Assignees

• Mabuchi Keiji
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Mabuchi Keiji

Classifications

• H04N25/581 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N23/71 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N25/57 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N25/78

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/378

  Electricity · mapped topic