Patent EP0315778A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0315778A2
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Solid state image pickup apparatus
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1988-10-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-10-07
Abstract
Abstract The solid state image pickup apparatus comprises photosensitive element columns (1) made up of a plurality of photosensitive elements (I) and charge storage / transfer devices each having a cyclic transfer path (12) including a plurality of loop-linked transfer stages (8, 9, 10 and 11) for transferring and storing signal charges outputted by the photosensitive element column (1). The cyclic transfer path (12) can freely rearrange the order of outputted signal charges by controlling timings at which signal charges are received by or transmitted from the cyclic transfer path. Further, the apparatus includes a parallel transfer device in each cyclic transfer path (12) which can simultaneously transfer signal charges stored in a predetermined one of transfer stages (8 and 9) to other transfer stages (9 and 8) through the cyclic transfer path (12). for the purpose of reversing the arrangement order of the signal charges. With this apparatus, it is possible to derive out signal charges in any desired order.
Inventors
- 👤 Tetsuo Yamada
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 02:51
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N25/00; H04N25/40; H04N25/44; H04N25/441; H04N25/70; H04N25/71; H04N25/715
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
65 words
A solid state image pickup apparatus comprising: (a) photosensitive element columns (1) each including a plurality of photosensitive elements (I) for detecting signal charges; and (b) charge storage / transfer devices, each having a cyclic transfer path (12) made up of a plurality of loop-linked transfer stages (8, 9, 10 and 11) for storing and transferring the signal charges outputted from said photosensitive element columns..
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
65 words
A solid state image pickup apparatus comprising: (a) photosensitive element columns (1) each including a plurality of photosensitive elements (I) for detecting signal charges; and (b) charge storage / transfer devices, each having a cyclic transfer path (12) made up of a plurality of loop-linked transfer stages (8, 9, 10 and 11) for storing and transferring the signal charges outputted from said photosensitive element columns..
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
74 words
The solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 1, wherein one (10) of said plurality of transfer stages (8, 9, 10 and 11) constituting the cyclic transfer path (12) is used in common as an input section of the cyclic transfer path (12) for signal charge reception and another one (11) of said plurality of transfer stages is used in common as an output section of the cyclic transfer path for signal charge transmission.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
80 words
The solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 1 wherein said charge storage transfer device comprises a first charge storage;transfer device (8) for transferring signal charges in a first direction: and a second charge storage. transfer device (9) for transferring signal charges in a second direction opposite to the first direction, said first and second charge storageitransfer devices (8 and 9) being linked with each other at both linkage ends (10 and 11) thereof to construct the cyclic transfer path.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
76 words
The solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 3 wherein one linkage end (10) of said first and second charge storage / transfer devices (8 and 9) is used in common as an input section of the cyclic transfer path (12) for signal charge reception and another linkage end (11) of said first and second charge storage/transfer devices is used in common as an output section of the cyclic transfer path (12) for signal charge transmission.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
76 words
The solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said transfer stages (8, 9, 10 and 11) of said cyclic transfer path (12) comprises a plurality of electrodes (20) to each of which one of a plurality of different phase transfer pulses (q,1 to φ 4 ) is applied, and wherein all electrodes to which the same phase pulse is applied are formed integral with each other over the entire cyclic transfer path.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
The solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 5 wherein said phase transfer pulses ((φ 1 to φ 4 ) are applied to said electrodes (20) provided in each cyclic transfer path (12) in a manner such that in two mutually adjacent cyclic transfer paths, said signal charges are transferred cyclically in directions opposite to each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
The solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 1 which further comprises column directional transfer devices (2), each provided adjacent and in parallel to said photosensitive element column (1) for transferring signal charges detected by said photosensitive elements (I) in the column direction to form a frame interline transfer type solid state image pickup apparatus.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 1 wherein said photosensitive element column (1) transfers by itself the signal charges in the column direction in frame interline transfer method.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
The solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 1 which further comprises parallel transfer devices (17) for simultaneously and parallelly transferring signal charges stored in a predetermined number of transfer stages (8 and 9) of said cyclic transfer path (12) to other transfer stages (9 and 8) of said cyclic transfer path.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
125 words
The solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 9 wherein said charge storage/transfer device comprises a first charge storage / transfer device (8) for transferring signal charges in a first direction; and a second charge storage / transfer device (9) for transferring signal charges in a second direction opposite to the first direction; said first and second charge storage/transfer devices (8 and 9) being linked with each other at both linkage ends thereof to construct the cyclic transfer path (12); and a parallel transfer device (17) for simultaneously transferring signal charges from said first charge storage / transfer device (8) to said second charge storage / transfer device (9) or vice versa is provided between said first and second charge storage/transfer devices (8 and 9).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
79 words
The solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 10 wherein one linkage end (10) of each of said first and second charge storage / transfer devices (8 and 9) is used in common as an input section of the cyclic transfer path (12) for signal charge reception and the other linkage end (11) of each of said first and second charge storageitransfer devices (8 and 9) is used in common as an output section of the cyclic transfer path
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
5 words
(12) for signal charge transmission.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
5 words
(12) for signal charge transmission.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of driving a solid state image pickup apparatus having photosensitive element columns (1) each including a plurality of photosensitive elements (I) for detecting signal charges; and charge storage / transfer devices each having a cyclic transfer path (12) made up of a plurality of loop-linked transfer stages (8, 9, 10 and 11) for receiving and transferring the signal charges outputted from said photosensitive element column, said method comprising the steps of: (a) cyclically transferring received signal charges in said cyclic transfer path (12); and (b) controlling timings at which succeeding signal charges are received by said cyclic transfer path to rearrange a sequence of the signal charges in a desired order.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of driving a solid state image pickup apparatus having photosensitive element columns (1) each including a plurality of photosensitive elements (I) for detecting signal charges; and charge storage / transfer devices each having a cyclic transfer path (12) made up of a plurality of loop-linked transfer stages (8, 9, 10 and 11) for receiving and transferring the signal charges outputted from said photosensitive element column, said method comprising the steps of: (a) cyclically transferring received signal charges in said cyclic transfer path (12); and (b) controlling timings at which succeeding signal charges are received by said cyclic transfer path to rearrange a sequence of the signal charges in a desired order.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
140 words
The method of driving a solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 12 wherein a sequence of the signal charges is rearranged in a desired order, said method comprising the steps of: (a) transferring all signal charges detected by the photosensitive element column (1) to the cyclic transfer path (12) by dividing all the signal charges into several groups along the column direction; (b) receiving a group of a predetermined number of signal charges transferred in the column direction by the cyclic transfer path (12) with a predetermined number of empty transfer stages interposed between two transferred signal charges; (c) cyclically transferring received signal charges; (d) receiving a predetermined number of signal charges transferred by a succeeding column directional transfer operation at empty transfer stages after the already received signal charges; and (e) repeating above described steps (a) - (d).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
204 words
The method of driving a solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 13 wherein a sequence of all signal charges is rearranged in the same order as that of the photosensitive elements (I), said method comprising the steps of: (a) transferring odd numbered signal charges (①, ③, ⑤ and ⑦) of a first field (I 1 , 1 3 , Is and 1 7 ) detected by the photosensitive element column (1) in an interlace method to the cyclic transfer path (12) by a first column direction transfer operation; (b) transferring even numbered signal charges (②, ④, ⑥ and ⑧) of a second field (1 2 , 1 4 , I 6 and Is) to the cyclic transfer path (12) in a second column-direction transfer operation; (c) receiving said odd numbered signal charges (①, ③, ⑤ and ⑦) of the first field by the cyclic transfer path (12) with a single empty transfer stage interposed between the two received signal charges; and (d) receiving said even numbered signal charges (②, ④, ⑥ and ⑧) of the second field by the cyclic transfer path (12) at the single empty transfer stage interposed between the signal charges (①, ③, ⑤ and ⑦) of the first field.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
249 words
The method of driving a solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 13 wherein a sequence of all signal charges is rearranged in the same order as that of the photosensitive elements (I), said method comprising the steps of: (a) transferring signal charges (① and ⑤) at intervals of a predetermined row number of the first field (I 1 , 1 3 , 1 5 and 1 7 ) detected by the photosensitive element column (1) in an interlace method to the cyclic transfer path (12) by a single column direction transfer operation; (b) transferring signal charges (② and ⑥) at intervals of a predetermined row number of a second field (1 2 , l 4 , 1 6 and 1 8 ) to the cyclic transfer path (12) by a single column direction transfer operation; (c) repeating the above described steps (a) and (b); (d) receiving the signal charges (① and ⑤) transferred at intervals of a predetermined row number of the first field by the single column directional transfer operation through the cyclic transfer path (12) with predetermined empty transfer stages interposed between the two received signal charges; (e) receiving the signal charges ② and ⑥) transferred at intervals of a predetermined row number of the second field by a succeeding column directional transfer operation through the cyclic transfer path (12) at empty transfer stages just after the received signal charges (1 and 5) of the first field: and (f) repeating above described steps (a) - (e).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
222 words
The method of driving a solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 13 wherein a sequence of all signal charges is rearranged in such an order that even numbered signal charges (②, ④, ⑥ and ⑧) of the second field are arranged after odd numbered signal charges (①, ③, ⑤ and ⑦) of the first field in interlace method, said method comprising the steps of: (a) transferring two signal charges (① and ②) of two adjacent photosensitive elements (I, and I 2 ) of the photosensitive element column (1) to the cyclic transfer path (12) by a single column directional transfer operation; (b) transferring two signal charges (③ and ④) of succeeding two adjacent photosensitive elements (1 3 and I 4 ) to the cyclic transfer path (12) by a single column directional transfer operation; (c) repeating above described steps (a) and (b); (d) receiving the two signal charges (① and ②) transferred by the single column directional transfer operation through the cyclic transfer path (12) at intervals of transfer stages corresponding to the number of rows of one field in the interlace method; (e) receiving the two signal charges (③ and transferred by a succeeding column directional transfer operation at empty transfer stages just after the received signal charges (① and ②); and (f) repeating above described steps (a) - (e).
Claim 21
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of driving a solid state image pickup apparatus having photosensitive element columns (1) each including a plurality of photosensitive elements (I) for detecting signal charges; and charge storage / transfer devices each having a cyclic transfer path (12) made up of a plurality of loop-linked transfer stages (8, 9, 10 and 11) for receiving and transferring the signal charges outputted from said photosensitive element column, said method comprising the steps of: (a) cyclically transferring received signal charges by said cyclic transfer path (12); and (b) controlling timings at which the cyclically transferred signal charges are outputted from said cyclic transfer path for outputting the signal charges in any given order.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of driving a solid state image pickup apparatus having photosensitive element columns (1) each including a plurality of photosensitive elements (I) for detecting signal charges; and charge storage / transfer devices each having a cyclic transfer path (12) made up of a plurality of loop-linked transfer stages (8, 9, 10 and 11) for receiving and transferring the signal charges outputted from said photosensitive element column, said method comprising the steps of: (a) cyclically transferring received signal charges by said cyclic transfer path (12); and (b) controlling timings at which the cyclically transferred signal charges are outputted from said cyclic transfer path for outputting the signal charges in any given order.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
149 words
The method of driving a solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 17 which further comprises the steps of: (a) transferring signal charges (①, ③, ⑤ and ⑦) of the first field of the photosensitive element column (1) to the cyclic transfer path (12) by a first column directional transfer operation in an interlace method; (b) transferring signal charges (②, ④, ⑥ and ⑧) of the second field to the cyclic transfer path (12) by a second column directional transfer operation; (c) continuously receiving signal charges (① , ③, ⑤, ⑦, ②, ④, ⑥ and ⑧) transferred by the first and second column directional transfer operations without interposing any empty transfer stage between two signal charges; and (d) after all signal charges (①, ③, ⑤, ⑦, ②, ④, ⑥ and ⑧) have been received, outputting all signal charges in the same order as that of the photosensitive elements (I).
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
149 words
The method of driving a solid state image pickup apparatus of claim 16 further comprising the steps of: (a) transferring signal charges (①, ②, ③, ④, ⑤, ⑥, ⑦ and ⑧) of the photosensitive element column (1) to the cyclic transfer path (12) in the order of an arrangement of photoelectric elements; (b) continuously receiving the signal charges (①, ②, ③, ④, ⑤, ⑥, ⑦ and ⑧) by cyclic transfer path (12) without interposing any empty transfer stage between two signal charges; (c) after all signal charges have been received, outputting signal charges (①, ③, ⑤ and ⑦) of the first field in an interlace method in the order of the number of rows; and (d) after the first field signal charges (①, ③, and ⑦) have been outputted, outputting signal charges (②, ④, ⑥, and ⑧) of the second field in the order of the number of rows.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
330 words
A method of driving a solid state image pickup apparatus including: photosensitive element columns (1) each having a plurality of photosensitive elements; and charge storage / transfer devices for storing and transferring signal charges outputted from said photosensitive element column (1), each of which includes: first and second charge storageitransfer devices (8 and 9) linked at both ends thereof to form a cyclic transfer path for cyclically transferring signal charges in either direction; and a parallel transfer device (17) disposed between the first and second charge storage / transfer devices (8 and 9), said method comprising the steps of: (a) transferring signal charges (①, ③, ⑤ and ⑦) of a first field of the photosensitive element column (1) in an interlace method to a cyclic transfer path (12) by a first column directional transfer operation; (b) transferring signal charges (②, ④, ⑥ and ⑧) of a second field of the photosensitive element column (1) to the cyclic transfer path (12) by a second column directional transfer operation; (c) continuously receiving signal charges (① ③, ⑤ and ⑦) transferred in the first column directional transfer operation by the first charge storage device (8) of the cyclic transfer path (12); (d) cyclically transferring received signal charges to the second charge storage device (9); (e) simultaneously transferring the signal charges (①, ③, ⑤ and ⑦) in the second charge storage device (9) to the first charge storage device (8) by the parallel transfer device (17) to reverse an arrangement order of the signal charges; (f) cyclically transferring the signal charges ( ⑦, ⑤, ③ and ①) of the first charge storage device (8) to the second charge storage/transfer device (9) by the cyclic transfer device (12); (g) continuously receiving signal charges (② , ④, ⑥, and ⑧) of the second column directional transfer by the first charge storage/transfer device (8); and (h) alternately outputting signal charges (①, ②, ③, ④, ⑤, ⑥, ⑦ and ⑧) by the first and second charge transfer devices.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
330 words
A method of driving a solid state image pickup apparatus including: photosensitive element columns (1) each having a plurality of photosensitive elements; and charge storage / transfer devices for storing and transferring signal charges outputted from said photosensitive element column (1), each of which includes: first and second charge storageitransfer devices (8 and 9) linked at both ends thereof to form a cyclic transfer path for cyclically transferring signal charges in either direction; and a parallel transfer device (17) disposed between the first and second charge storage / transfer devices (8 and 9), said method comprising the steps of: (a) transferring signal charges (①, ③, ⑤ and ⑦) of a first field of the photosensitive element column (1) in an interlace method to a cyclic transfer path (12) by a first column directional transfer operation; (b) transferring signal charges (②, ④, ⑥ and ⑧) of a second field of the photosensitive element column (1) to the cyclic transfer path (12) by a second column directional transfer operation; (c) continuously receiving signal charges (① ③, ⑤ and ⑦) transferred in the first column directional transfer operation by the first charge storage device (8) of the cyclic transfer path (12); (d) cyclically transferring received signal charges to the second charge storage device (9); (e) simultaneously transferring the signal charges (①, ③, ⑤ and ⑦) in the second charge storage device (9) to the first charge storage device (8) by the parallel transfer device (17) to reverse an arrangement order of the signal charges; (f) cyclically transferring the signal charges ( ⑦, ⑤, ③ and ①) of the first charge storage device (8) to the second charge storage/transfer device (9) by the cyclic transfer device (12); (g) continuously receiving signal charges (② , ④, ⑥, and ⑧) of the second column directional transfer by the first charge storage/transfer device (8); and (h) alternately outputting signal charges (①, ②, ③, ④, ⑤, ⑥, ⑦ and ⑧) by the first and second charge transfer devices.
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