Image pickup apparatus, image pickup system, and image pickup apparatus driving method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9502452-B2
Application number	US-201313765025-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2013
Priority date	Feb 17, 2012
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

Each of multiple pixels includes a photoelectric conversion unit. A first holding unit is configured to hold a charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, at a location different from location of the photoelectric conversion unit. A second holding unit is configured to hold a charge held by the first holding unit at a location different from locations of both of the first holding unit and the photoelectric conversion unit. An amplifying unit includes an input node different from the second holding unit and is configured to output a signal based on a charge transferred to the input node from the second holding unit. A first discharge unit includes a charge draining node which is electrically connected to a line where a predetermined voltage is supplied. The first discharge unit discharges a charge held by the first holding unit to the charge draining node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including
a photoelectric conversion unit;
a first holding unit configured to hold a charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, at a location different from location of the photoelectric conversion unit;
a second holding unit configured to hold a charge held by the first holding unit at a location different from locations of both of the first holding unit and the photoelectric conversion;
an amplifying unit including an input node and configured to output a signal based on a charge transferred to the input node from the second holding unit, the input node being a different node from the second holding unit;
a reset unit configured to reset a voltage of the input node; and
a first discharge unit configured to discharge a charge of the first holding unit,

wherein the first discharge unit includes a charge draining node,
wherein the charge draining node is electrically connected to a line to which a predetermined voltage is to be supplied,
wherein the first discharge unit is configured to discharges a charge held by the first holding unit to the charge draining node,
wherein the reset unit is configured to discharge a charge of the second holding unit via the input node, and
wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a third transfer unit configured to transfer a charge from the second holding unit to the input node.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a charge is transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit to the first holding unit via a first path;
wherein a charge is transferred from the first holding unit to the second holding unit via a second path; and
wherein the first discharge unit discharges the charge of the first holding unit via a third path which differs from both of the first path and the second path.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes
a first transfer unit configured to transfer a charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the first holding unit, and
a second transfer unit configured to transfer a charge from the first holding unit to the second holding unit.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first discharge unit is configured to discharge a charge of the photoelectric conversion unit via the first holding unit.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a second discharge unit configured to discharge a charge of the photoelectric conversion unit;
wherein the second discharge unit includes a second charge draining node;
wherein the second charge draining node is electrically connected to a line to which a predetermined voltage is to be supplied; and
wherein the second discharge unit configured to discharge a charge of the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge draining node.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a control unit;
wherein the control unit is configured to control the first discharge unit to discharge a charge of the first holding unit in parallel with holding, by the second holding unit, a charge thereof.

7. An image pickup system comprising:
the image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
a signal processing unit which processes signals output from the image pickup apparatus.

8. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including
a photoelectric conversion unit;
a first holding unit configured to hold a charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, at a location different from location of the photoelectric conversion unit;
a second holding unit configured to hold a charge held by the first holding unit at a location different from locations of both of the first holding unit and the photoelectric conversion;
an amplifying unit including an input node and configured to output a signal based on a charge transferred to the input node from the second holding unit, the input node being a different node from the second holding unit;
a reset unit configured to reset a voltage of the input node; and
a first discharge unit configured to discharge a charge of the first holding unit,

wherein the first discharge unit includes a charge draining node,
wherein the charge draining node is electrically connected to a line to which a predetermined voltage is to be supplied,
wherein the first discharge unit is configured to discharges a charge held by the first holding unit to the charge draining node,
wherein the reset unit is configured to discharge a charge of the second holding unit via the input node, and
wherein the charge draining node is a node different from the input node.

9. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein a charge is transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit to the first holding unit via a first path;
wherein a charge is transferred from the first holding unit to the second holding unit via a second path; and
wherein the first discharge unit discharges the charge of the first holding unit via a third path which differs from both of the first path and the second path.

10. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes
a first transfer unit configured to transfer a charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the first holding unit, and
a second transfer unit configured to transfer a charge from the first holding unit to the second holding unit.

11. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first discharge unit is configured to discharge a charge of the photoelectric conversion unit via the first holding unit.

12. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a second discharge unit configured to discharge a charge of the photoelectric conversion unit;
wherein the second discharge unit includes a second charge draining node;
wherein the second charge draining node is electrically connected to a line to which a predetermined voltage is to be supplied; and
wherein the second discharge unit configured to discharge a charge of the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge draining node.

13. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a third transfer unit configured to transfer a charge from the second holding unit to the input node.

14. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a control unit;
wherein the control unit is configured to control the first discharge unit to discharge a charge of the first holding unit in parallel with holding, by the second holding unit, a charge thereof.

15. An image pickup system comprising:
the image pickup apparatus according to claim 8 ; and
a signal processing unit which processes signals output from the image pickup apparatus.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kobayashi Masahiro
• Yamashita Yuichiro
• Toyoguchi Ginjiro

Classifications

• H04N25/771

  comprising storage means other than floating diffusion · CPC title

• H04N25/40

  Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled · CPC title

• H01L27/14612

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/37452

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/14605

  Electricity · mapped topic