EP0277016A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Photoelectric conversion apparatus
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1988-01-28
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-01-28
Abstract
Abstract A photoelectric conversion apparatus having an array of plural photoelectric conversion cells having semiconductor areas for accumulating photoinduced carriers, in which a gate-insulated transistor is formed with main electrodes composed of the semiconductor areas of neighboring photoelectric conversion cells, for separating the cells and for collective refreshing of the cells.
Inventors
- 👤 Mahito Shinohara
- 👤 Seiji Hashimoto
- 👤 Shigetoshi Sugawa
- 👤 Mamoru Miyawaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 00:28
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F39/00; H10F39/10; H10F39/12; H10F39/197; H04; H04N; H04N25/00; H04N25/70; H04N25/76; H04N25/78
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
40 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising an array of plural photoelectric conversion cells respectively having semiconductor areas for accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation, and gate-insulated transistors each having main electrode areas composed of said semiconductor areas of neighboring photoelectric conversion cells.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
40 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising an array of plural photoelectric conversion cells respectively having semiconductor areas for accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation, and gate-insulated transistors each having main electrode areas composed of said semiconductor areas of neighboring photoelectric conversion cells.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said photoelectric conversion cells comprises a control electrode area for accumulating said carriers, and plural main electrode areas.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the main electrode areas of said gate-insulated transistor are composed of main electrode areas of neighboring photoelectric conversion cells.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gate-insulated transistor comprises a gate electrode.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of said photo electric conversion cells comprises a control electrode area for accumulating said carriers and plural main electrode areas.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising connection means for electrically connecting said gate electrode and said control electrode area in common.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising control means for supplying said gate electrode and said control electrode area with respectively different signals.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising an array of plural photoelectric conversion cells each having a control area for accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation, a capacitor for controlling the potential of said control area and plural main electrode areas; and switch means for selectively connecting or separating said main electrode areas of the neighboring photoelectric conversion cells.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising an array of plural photoelectric conversion cells each having a control area for accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation, a capacitor for controlling the potential of said control area and plural main electrode areas; and switch means for selectively connecting or separating said main electrode areas of the neighboring photoelectric conversion cells.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a first line for supplying said switch means with a control signal, and another second line for supplying the electrode of said capacitor with a control signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising means for connecting said switch means and said control area in common.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said switch means is composed of a gate-insulated transistor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
88 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising an array of plural photoelectric conversion cells each having a control area for accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation, a capacitor for controlling the potential of said control area and plural main electrode areas; and switch means for connecting said main electrode areas of neighboring photoelectric conversion cells, wherein control electrodes of said switch means are connected in common in the unit of a desired number, and said capacitors are connected in common to a wiring used for said connection of the control electrode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
88 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising an array of plural photoelectric conversion cells each having a control area for accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation, a capacitor for controlling the potential of said control area and plural main electrode areas; and switch means for connecting said main electrode areas of neighboring photoelectric conversion cells, wherein control electrodes of said switch means are connected in common in the unit of a desired number, and said capacitors are connected in common to a wiring used for said connection of the control electrode.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising plural accumulation means respectively connected to the semiconductor areas of said photoelectric conversion cells and used for separately accumulating a noise signal and a photoelectric converted signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising calculation means for processing said noise signal and said photoelectric converted signal accumulated in each of said plural accumulation means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said calculation means comprises subtracting means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising accumulation means respectively connected to the main electrode areas of said photoelectric conversion cells and used for separately accumulating a noise signal and a photoelectric converted signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising calculation means for processing said noise signal and said photoelectrically converted signal accumulated in each of said accumulation means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said calculation means comprises subtracting means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising accumulation means respectively connected to the main electrode areas of said photoelectric conversion cells and used for separately accumulating a noise signal and a photoelectrically converted signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
29 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising calculation means for processing said noise signal and said photoelectrically converted signal accumulated in each of said accumulation means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
15 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said calculation means comprises subtracting means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
108 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus provided with accumulation means for accumulating signals from photoelectric conversion elements, comprising: first accumulation means for effecting a reading operation on said photoelectric conversion elements and accumulating read-out signals therefrom; second accumulation means for effecting a refreshing operation on said photoelectric conversion elements and accumulating signals remaining immediately after said refreshing operation; process means for processing the read-out signal and the remaining signal respectively accumulated in said first and second accumulation means thereby eliminating the remaining signal from said read-out signal; and control means for applying a deeper forward bias to said photoelectric conversion elements in said refreshing operation than in said reading operation.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
108 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus provided with accumulation means for accumulating signals from photoelectric conversion elements, comprising: first accumulation means for effecting a reading operation on said photoelectric conversion elements and accumulating read-out signals therefrom; second accumulation means for effecting a refreshing operation on said photoelectric conversion elements and accumulating signals remaining immediately after said refreshing operation; process means for processing the read-out signal and the remaining signal respectively accumulated in said first and second accumulation means thereby eliminating the remaining signal from said read-out signal; and control means for applying a deeper forward bias to said photoelectric conversion elements in said refreshing operation than in said reading operation.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
41 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising at least two photoelectric conversion cells each having a semiconductor region for accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation, and gate-insulated transistors each having main electrode areas composed of said semiconductor regions of the neighboring photoelectric conversion cell.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
41 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising at least two photoelectric conversion cells each having a semiconductor region for accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation, and gate-insulated transistors each having main electrode areas composed of said semiconductor regions of the neighboring photoelectric conversion cell.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
43 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising at least two photoelectric conversion cells each having a semiconductor region for accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation, and a further region, and switch means for selectively connecting or separating said further regions of the neighboring photoelectric conversion cells.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
43 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising at least two photoelectric conversion cells each having a semiconductor region for accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation, and a further region, and switch means for selectively connecting or separating said further regions of the neighboring photoelectric conversion cells.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
58 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising an array of plural photoelectric conversion cells each having a first region for accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation, and plural further regions; and switch means for connecting said further regions of neighboring photoelectric conversion cells, wherein control electrodes of said switch means are connected in common in the unit of a desired number.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
58 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising an array of plural photoelectric conversion cells each having a first region for accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation, and plural further regions; and switch means for connecting said further regions of neighboring photoelectric conversion cells, wherein control electrodes of said switch means are connected in common in the unit of a desired number.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
49 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus: first means for effecting a reading operation on said photoelectric conversion elements; second means for effecting a refreshing operation on said photoelectric conversion elements; and process means for processing the read-out signal and the remaining signal to eliminate the remaining signal from said read-out signal.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
49 words
A photoelectric conversion apparatus: first means for effecting a reading operation on said photoelectric conversion elements; second means for effecting a refreshing operation on said photoelectric conversion elements; and process means for processing the read-out signal and the remaining signal to eliminate the remaining signal from said read-out signal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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