Patent EP0476936A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0476936A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Solid state image sensing device
Assignee: Sharp Corp
•
Filing: 1991-09-13
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2011-09-13
Abstract
Abstract An improved solid state image sensing device includes a two-dimensional array type charge-coupled device. The read rate thereof is increases N times a standard read rate where N is a positive integer larger than one, and the output signals of the charge-coupled device being added N times with respect to the same pixel or to the same combination of pixels. The sum of the addition stored in a memory is read at the standard read rate, so that the dynamic range of the solid state image sensing device is expanded.
Inventors
- 👤 Takashi Watanabe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:33
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/70; H04N25/00; H04N25/40; H04N25/46
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
A solid state image sensing device, comprising: (a) image sensing means for sensing an optical image, said image sensing means including a two-dimensional array type charge-coupled device; (b) adder means for adding output signals of said charge-coupled device with respect to the same pixel or to the same combination of pixels N times where N is a positive integer larger than one; (c) memory means for storing the sums of the addition performed by said adder means; (d) control means for feeding first clock signals of N times a predetermined read rate of said charge-coupled device to said image sensing means for the image sensing, said memory means, and said adder means for the summation and for feeding second clock signals of the predetermined read rate to said memory means for the read of the sums.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
A solid state image sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined read rate is the standard read rate of said charge-coupled device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A solid state image sensing device according to claim 1, wherein said control means feed said first clock signals of the predetermined read rate to said image sensing means and said adder means according as the quantity of light does not exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
211 words
A solid state image sensing device comprising: (a) image sensing means for sensing an optical image, said image sensing means including a two-dimensional array type charge-coupled device; (b) adder means for adding output signals of said charge-coupled device with respect to the same pixel or to the same combination of pixels N times where N is a positive integer larger than one; (c) first memory means for storing the sums of the addition performed by said adder means in a first period; (d) second memory means for storing the sums of the addition performed by said adder means in a second period; whereby one of said first and second memory means is allowed to be written while the other is allowed to be read; (e) control means for controlling said first and second memory means so as to be read and mitten alternately and for feeding first clock signals of N times a predetermined read rate of said charge-coupled device to said image sensing means for the image sensing, one of said first and second memory means, and said adder means for the summation and for feeding second clock signals of the predetermined read rate to the other of said first and second memory means for the read of the sums.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A solid state image sensing device according to claim 4, wherein said predetermined read rate is the standard read rate of said charge-coupled device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A solid state image sensing device according to claim 4, wherein said control means feed said first clock signals of the predetermined read rate to said image sensing means and said adder means when as the quantity of light does not exceed a predetermined value.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
65 words
A solid state image sensing device comprising a plurality of sensors (101) for sensing respective elements of an image, and means for outputting the signals from the sensors (101), characterised in that the solid state image sensing device further comprises: means for summing a plurality of successive outputs from a sensor or group of sensors for each respective image element or group of image elements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
A solid state image sensing device according to claim 7 further comprising means for determining whether or not the quantity of light received by the plurality of sensors exceeds a predetermined value and means for determining the number of successive outputs which are summed in dependence on whether the quantity of light exceeds the predetermined value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A solid state image sensing device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the summing means is operable to sum a plurality of successive outputs within a single frame.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A solid state image sensing device according to claim 9 wherein the summing means is operable to sum a plurality of successive outputs within a single field.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.