Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Image sensor and imaging apparatus
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Application No.: US15520470Application Date: 2015-08-03
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Publication No.: US10348995B2Publication Date: 2019-07-09
- Inventor: Kouichi Harada
- Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
- Applicant Address: JP Kanagawa
- Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
- Current Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
- Current Assignee Address: JP Kanagawa
- Agency: Chip Law Group
- Priority: JP2014-221240 20141030
- International Application: PCT/JP2015/071905 WO 20150803
- International Announcement: WO2016/067692 WO 20160506
- Main IPC: H03M1/12
- IPC: H03M1/12 ; H04N5/353 ; H04N5/378 ; H01L27/146 ; H04N5/3745

Abstract:
Presence or absence of a photon is accurately detected in an image sensor with a simple configuration. A pixel circuit generates as an input voltage a signal voltage by photoelectrically converting light when the light is incident, and generates as the input voltage a predetermined reset voltage when light is not incident. A capacitor retains the predetermined reset voltage as a retained voltage. An amplification comparator amplifies a voltage difference between the input voltage and the retained voltage. A detection comparator outputs a result of determining whether or not the amplified voltage difference is higher than a predetermined value, as a detection signal indicating detected presence or absence of light incidence.
Public/Granted literature
- US20180309948A1 IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGING APPARATUS Public/Granted day:2018-10-25
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