Analog-digital converter, solid-state image sensor, and electronic apparatus for increased resolution of an image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9313436-B2
Application number	US-201314087451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2013
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

An analog-digital converter includes: a first comparator configured to make a comparison between a pixel voltage and a first reference voltage, the pixel voltage being a signal voltage outputted from a pixel including an photoelectric conversion element, the pixel voltage corresponding to electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion element; a second comparator configured to make a comparison between the pixel voltage and a second reference voltage; and a voltage follower configured to connect an input terminal for the first reference voltage of the first comparator and an input terminal for the second reference voltage of the second comparator through a switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An analog-digital converter comprising:
a first comparator configured to make a comparison between a pixel voltage and a first reference voltage, the pixel voltage being a signal voltage outputted from a pixel including an photoelectric conversion element, the pixel voltage corresponding to electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion element;
a second comparator configured to make a comparison between the pixel voltage and a second reference voltage; and
a voltage follower configured to connect an input terminal for the first reference voltage of the first comparator and an input terminal for the second reference voltage of the second comparator through a switch,
wherein the first and second comparators each make a plurality of comparisons, and
wherein the first reference voltage is reduced each time a comparison is made, and the second reference voltage is increased each time a comparison is made, and
wherein the amount of reduction of the first reference voltage is reduced as the number of comparisons made by the first comparator is increased, and the amount of increase of the second reference voltage is reduced as the number of comparisons made by the second comparator is increased.

2. An analog-digital converter comprising:
a first comparator configured to make a comparison between a pixel voltage and a first reference voltage, the pixel voltage being a signal voltage outputted from a pixel including an photoelectric conversion element, the pixel voltage corresponding to electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion element;
a second comparator configured to make a comparison between the pixel voltage and a second reference voltage; and
a voltage follower configured to connect an input terminal for the first reference voltage of the first comparator and an input terminal for the second reference voltage of the second comparator through a switch,
wherein the first and second comparators each make a plurality of comparisons, further comprising
a bit data determination unit configured to, based on a result of a comparison made by previously selected one of the first and second comparators, determine each bit of digital data obtained by converting an analog signal corresponding to the pixel voltage, and
a control output unit configured to, based on information specifying the previously selected comparator and bit data outputted from the bit data determination unit, output a control signal including information specifying a comparator to be selected for a next comparison and a control signal for on/off controlling the switch of the voltage follower.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Ookuma Keiji

Classifications

• H03M1/462 Primary

  Details of the control circuitry, e.g. of the successive approximation register · CPC title

• H03M1/123

  Simultaneous, i.e. using one converter per channel but with common control or reference circuits for multiple converters · CPC title

• H04N25/77

  Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components · CPC title

• H03M1/1225

  using time-division multiplexing · CPC title

• H04N25/76

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title