Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Analog-to-digital converter having reference signal, image sensor, and image capturing apparatus
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Application No.: US17173695Application Date: 2021-02-11
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Publication No.: US11558575B2Publication Date: 2023-01-17
- Inventor: Shunichi Wakashima , Hirokazu Kobayashi , Nobuhiro Takeda
- Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
- Applicant Address: JP Tokyo
- Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
- Current Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
- Current Assignee Address: JP Tokyo
- Agency: Canon U.S.A., Inc. IP Division
- Priority: JPJP2020-024664 20200217
- Main IPC: H04N5/378
- IPC: H04N5/378 ; H04N5/232

Abstract:
An analog-to-digital converter includes a generator, a comparator, and a counter. The generator generates a reference signal whose voltage changes with respect to time. The voltage of the reference signal changes with a constant slope in a predetermined first period since the voltage starts changing. The slope of the voltage becomes steeper with respect to time in a second period after the first period. The comparator compares the reference signal and a voltage output from outside, and outputs a comparison result. The counter counts at a predetermined first cycle since the voltage of the reference signal starts changing until the comparison result is inverted.
Public/Granted literature
- US20210258524A1 ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER HAVING REFERENCE SIGNAL, IMAGE SENSOR, AND IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS Public/Granted day:2021-08-19
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