Imaging apparatus including readout circuits and output lines, and driving method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9497399-B2
Application number	US-201414300536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2014
Priority date	Jul 4, 2013
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes: pixel circuits ( 1 ) arranged in a matrix, each configured to generate a pixel signal by photoelectric conversion; readout circuits ( 50 ) each provided correspondingly to each column of the plurality of pixel circuits, and each configured to read out the pixel signals from the pixel circuits of a corresponding column; 2n first output lines ( 5 - 1 to 5 - 8 ) to which output terminals of every 2n columns of the readout circuits are commonly connected; and an adding unit configured to add the pixel signals from the pixel circuits arranged in different columns. Among the readout circuits on plural columns connected to the pixel circuits which are subjected to adding by the adding unit, only the readout circuit on one column performs the read out, and all of the 2n first output lines receives input of the pixel signals from one of the plural readout circuits.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a first group comprising first pixel circuits and 2n first readout circuits, said first pixel circuits being arranged in 2n first columns, each of the first pixel circuits being configured to generate a pixel signal by photoelectric conversion, and each of said 2n first readout circuits being provided correspondingly to a different column among the 2n first columns and configured to read out a signal corresponding to the pixel signals from the first pixel circuits in a corresponding first column;
a second group arranged adjacent to the first group and comprising second pixel circuits and 2n second readout circuits, said second pixel circuits being arranged in 2n second columns, each of the second pixel circuits being configured to generate a pixel signal by photoelectric conversion, and each of said 2n second readout circuits being provided correspondingly to a different second column among the 2n second columns and configured to read out a signal corresponding to the pixel signals from the second pixel circuits in a corresponding second column;
2n first output lines wherein output terminals of the first readout circuits and the second readout circuits of every 2n columns are commonly connected to one of the 2n first output lines;
first adding units, each of the first adding units being configured to add the pixel signals from the pixel circuits arranged in different 2i first columns adjacent to each other among the 2n first columns; and
second adding units, each of said second adding units being configured to add the pixel signals from the second pixel circuits arranged in different 2j second columns adjacent to each other among the 2n second columns, wherein
n, i and j are positive integers, with i and j both being smaller than n,
each of the output terminals of the first readout circuits is connected to a different one of the 2n first output lines,
each of the output terminals of the second readout circuits is connected to a different one of the 2n first output lines,
in the 2n first readout circuits, one first readout circuit per the first readout circuits of the 2i first columns performs the read out,
in the 2n second readout circuits, one second readout circuit per the second readout circuits of the 2j second columns performs the readout,
each of odd-numbered first output lines among the 2n first output lines receives output from a different one of the first readout circuits, and
each of even-numbered first output lines among the 2n first output lines receives output from a different one of the second readout circuits.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first adding unit further adds signals corresponding to the pixel signals from the pixel circuits in different row.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first readout circuits which perform the reading out respectively correspond to a first column, a third column, a fifth column, a seventh column, a tenth column, a 12 th column, a 14 th column, and a 16 th column.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first readout circuit comprises a source follower circuit, and a column selecting switch configured to connect the source follower circuit to one of the first output line, and
a current source of the source follower circuit and the column selecting switch are controlled, to control the read out.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first adding units is a switch.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first adding units are connected in parallel.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the 2n first output lines are connected to a second output line through a corresponding switch.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tsukida Kentaro
• Araoka Yukio
• Ono Toshiaki

Classifications

• H04N25/76 Primary

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

• H04N25/441

  by reading contiguous pixels from selected rows or columns of the array, e.g. interlaced scanning · CPC title

• H04N25/78

  Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters · CPC title

• H04N5/3765

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/3452

  Electricity · mapped topic