Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Analog to digital converter for solid-state image pickup device
- Patent Title (中): 用于固态摄像装置的模数转换器
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Application No.: US12722121Application Date: 2010-03-11
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Publication No.: US08736732B2Publication Date: 2014-05-27
- Inventor: Hiroto Utsunomiya , Katsumi Dosaka , Hiroshi Kato , Fukashi Morishita , Fumiyasu Sasaki
- Applicant: Hiroto Utsunomiya , Katsumi Dosaka , Hiroshi Kato , Fukashi Morishita , Fumiyasu Sasaki
- Applicant Address: JP Kanagawa
- Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
- Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
- Current Assignee Address: JP Kanagawa
- Agency: McDermott Will & Emery LLP
- Priority: JP2009-061550 20090313; JP2009-061551 20090313; JP2009-205918 20090907
- Main IPC: H04N5/335
- IPC: H04N5/335

Abstract:
There is provided a solid-state image pickup device including ADCs that can be arranged in a limited space. The potential of a pixel signal outputted through a vertical readout line is held at a node. A plurality of capacitors are capacitively coupled to the node at which the pixel signal is held. The potential of the node is decreased in a stepwise manner by sequentially switching the voltages of the counter electrodes of the capacitors by the control of transistors. A comparator compares the potential of the node with the potential of the dark state of the pixel, and determines the upper bits of a digital value when the potential of the node becomes lower than the potential of the dark state. Following this, the conversion of the lower bits of the digital value is started. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the configuration of each ADC and arrange each ADC in a limited space.
Public/Granted literature
- US20100231768A1 SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE Public/Granted day:2010-09-16
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