Patent EP0455311A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0455311A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Image sensor device
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1985-12-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-12-24
Abstract
Abstract An image sensor device provided with a linear array of photoelectric converting elements each having a capacitor on a control electrode area of a semiconductor transistor is disclosed. The image sensor device is provided with means for sequentially selecting the photoelectric converting elements, and the potential of the control electrode area of the selected photoelectric converting element is controlled through said capacitor, thereby accumulating the carriers generated by photoexcitation in said control electrode area and reading a voltage generated according to the amount of carrier accumulation or dissipating thus accumulated carriers. <IMAGE>
Inventors
- 👤 Shigetoshi Sugawa
- 👤 Nobuyoshi Tanaka
- 👤 Toshiji Suzuki.
- 👤 Tsuneo Suzuki
- 👤 Masaharu Ozaki
- 👤 Mahito Shinohara
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 11:15
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F39/00; H10F39/10; H10F39/12; H10F39/197; H04; H04N; H04N25/00; H04N25/60; H04N25/62; H04N25/621; H04N25/622; H04N25/625; H04N25/70; H04N25/701; H04N25/76
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
A photosensor device comprising: a plurality of phototransistors (SC) each having a control region (4) and first and second main regions (1,5) and being arranged to accumulate charge carriers in the control region (4) in response to photo-excitation; and means (806,819; 906,919; 1539,1540) for reading out from the first main regions (5) of said phototransistors (SC) signals corresponding to the accumulated charge carriers in the respective control regions (4), characterised in that the means for reading out comprises means (803,804,805,820; 903,904,905,909, 920; 1539,1540,1542) for reading out from a plurality of phototransistors in parallel, storing the read-out signals, and subsequently supplying output signals to an output in accordance with respective stored signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
18 words
A photosensor device according to claim 1 in which the output signals are supplied to the output serially.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A photosensor device according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the phototransistors (SC) are bipolar transistors and the first main regions (5) are emitters.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A photosensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the first main regions (5) of the phototransistors (SC) are connected to a reference voltage source through switch means (910;1548).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
82 words
A photosensor device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the means for reading out comprises a respective plurality of sample-and-hold circuits (806;906), each such circuit comprising an input switch means (803;903) for transmitting signals derived from a respective one of the said plurality of phototransistors substantially simultaneously to storage means (804;904), and an output switch means (805;905,909) for outputting the output signals in accordance with the signals stored in said storage means (804) to an output line (820;920).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A photosensor device according to claim 5 in which each phototransistor (SC) is connected to a distinct respective sample-and-hold circuit (806).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A photosensor device according to claim 5 which is an area sensor, in which a plurality of phototransistors are connected to a common said sample and hold circuit (906).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
A photosensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the means for reading out comprises an analogue shift register (1540) arranged to receive plural parallel inputs and deliver a serial output.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A device according to claim 8 in which the analogue shift register (1540) comprises a charge coupled device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
117 words
A photosensor device comprising: a plurality of phototransistors, each of said phototransistors comprising at least two main regions (1, 5) of a semiconductor of first conductivity type, and control region (4) of a semiconductor of a second conductivity type, said plurality of phototransistors being capable of storing photo excited carriers in said control electrode region (4), and switch means (1548) for connecting one (5) of said main electrode regions to a reference voltage source; characterised in that it comprises also: a CCD type register (1540) for storing and transmitting output signals derived from the one (5) of said main electrode regions; and switch means (1539) for transmitting said output signals simultaneously to said CCD the register (1540).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
83 words
An image sensor device provided with a linear array of photoelectric converting elements each having a capacitor on a control electrode area of a semiconductor transistor, comprising selector means for sequentially selecting said photoelectric converting elements, wherein the potential of the control electrode area of thus selected photoelectric converting element is controlled through said capacitor, thereby accumulating carriers generated by photoexcitation in said control electrode area and reading a voltage generated according to the amount of said accumulation or dissipating thus accumulated carriers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
96 words
An image sensor device provided with plural photoelectric converting elements, in each of which the potential of a control electrode area of a photoelectric converting transistor is controlled through a capacitor to accumulate carriers generated by photo-excitation in said control electrode area and to read a voltage generated according to the amount of said accumulation or to dissipate thus accumulated carriers, and further provided with output means for sequentially releasing the signals read from said plural photoelectric converting elements, wherein: said output means comprises holding means for holding said readout signals, which are sequentially released therefrom.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
An image sensor device according to Claim 12 wherein said output means comprises a gate-insulated transistor of which gate is connected to said holding means, and the readout signals held in said holding means are released sequentially through said transistor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
81 words
A solid-state image sensor device comprising plural photoelectric converting elements, in each of which the potential of a control electrode area of a semiconductor transistor is controlled through a capacitor to accumulate carriers generated by photoexcitation in said control electrode area, and to read a voltage generated according to the amount of said accumulation or to dissipate thus accumulated carriers, and further comprising a CCD resgister for storing and transferring the readout signals of said photoelectric converting elements in an array.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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