Patent US4583002A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4583002A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Imaging sensor with automatic sensitivity control comprising voltage multiplying means
Assignee: Fujifilm Holdings Corp
•
Filing: 1983-06-06
•
Granted: 1986-04-15
•
Expires: 2003-06-06
Abstract
Abstract A solid-state imaging sensor in which the sensitivity of the sensor is automatically adjusted in accordance with the overall intensity of the image being sensed. A charging potential applied to an image signal storage capacitor in each pixel of an array of pixels of which the sensor is composed is dynamically varied as the overall intensity of the image being sensed changes. A voltage multiplying circuit, which may be either light sensitive or light insensitive, supplies the variable charging potential. If the voltage multiplying circuit is light insensitive, an elongated photodiode is provided along two sides of the sensor array to adjust the charging potential.
Inventors
- 👤 Ryuji Kondo
- 👤 Makoto Shizukuishi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 05:51
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F39/00; H10F39/10; H10F39/12; H10F39/18; H04; H04N; H04N25/00; H04N25/50; H04N25/53; H04N25/533; H04N25/70; H04N25/701
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
A solid-state imaging sensor comprising: a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, each of said pixels comprising capacitive storage means and photoconductive means for charging said capacitive storage means in accordance with an intensity of light shone on said pixels; means for supplying charging potential to said photoconductive means having a magnitude determined in accordance wtih an intensity of light shone on said sensors; and wherein said charging potential supplying means comprises light-sensitive voltage multiplying means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
77 words
A solid-state imaging sensor comprising: a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, each of said pixels comprising capacitive storage means and photoconductive means for charging said capacitive storage means in accordance with an intensity of light shone on said pixels; means for supplying charging potential to said photoconductive means having a magnitude determined in accordance wtih an intensity of light shone on said sensors; and wherein said charging potential supplying means comprises light-sensitive voltage multiplying means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The solid-state imaging sensor of claim 1 wherein said voltage multiplying means and said plurality of pixels are formed on a single semiconductor substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
185 words
A solid-state imaging sensor comprising: a first set of generally parallel electrodes; a second set of generally parallel electrodes arranged generally perpendicular to said first set of electrodes and insulated therefrom; a plurality of pixels, each of said pixels being arranged at an intersection of a respective electrode of said first set of electrodes and a respective electrode of said second set of electrodes, each of said pixels comprising an FET device having a drain coupled to said respective electrode of said first set of electrodes and a gate coupled to said respective electrode of said second set of electrodes, a photodiode coupled between a source of said FET device and a reference potential terminal, and a capacitor coupled between said source of said FET device and a charging potential terminal; and means for supplying a potential to said charging potential terminal having a magnitude determined in accordance with an intensity of light shone on said sensor, said potential supplying means comprising a source of a fixed potential and voltage multiplying means coupled between said source of said fixed potential and said charging potential terminal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
185 words
A solid-state imaging sensor comprising: a first set of generally parallel electrodes; a second set of generally parallel electrodes arranged generally perpendicular to said first set of electrodes and insulated therefrom; a plurality of pixels, each of said pixels being arranged at an intersection of a respective electrode of said first set of electrodes and a respective electrode of said second set of electrodes, each of said pixels comprising an FET device having a drain coupled to said respective electrode of said first set of electrodes and a gate coupled to said respective electrode of said second set of electrodes, a photodiode coupled between a source of said FET device and a reference potential terminal, and a capacitor coupled between said source of said FET device and a charging potential terminal; and means for supplying a potential to said charging potential terminal having a magnitude determined in accordance with an intensity of light shone on said sensor, said potential supplying means comprising a source of a fixed potential and voltage multiplying means coupled between said source of said fixed potential and said charging potential terminal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The solid-state imaging sensor of claim 3, wherein said voltage multiplying means comprises light-sensitive voltage multiplying means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
155 words
The solid-state imaging sensor of claim 4, wherein said voltage multiplying means comprises: a plurality of FET devices having channels coupled in series with one another and gates coupled to corresponding sources, an end one of said series-coupled FET devices having a source coupled to said source of said fixed potential and an opposite end one of said series-coupled FET devices having a drain coupled to said charging potential terminal; a plurality of capacitors, each of said capacitors having a first terminal coupled to a source of a respective one of said series-connected FET devices; a plurality of photodiodes, each of said photodiodes being coupled between a second terminal of a respective one of said capacitors and said reference potential terminal; and first and second means for interconnecting even-and odd-ordered ones, respectively, of said second terminals of said capacitors for supplying oppositely phased driving signals to said even- and odd-ordered second terminals of said capacitors.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
125 words
A solid-state imaging sensor comprising: a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, each of said pixels comprising capacitive storage means and photoconductive means for charging said capacitive storage means in accordance with an intensity of light shone on said pixels; means for supplying charging potential to said photoconductive means having a magnitude determined in accordance with an intensity of light shone on said sensors; wherein said charging potential supplying means comprises means for applying a predetermined potential to said capacitive storage means and photodiode means connected between said supplying means and said storage means for reducing said predetermined potential in accordance with said intensity of light shone on said sensor; and wherein said means for applying said predetermined potential comprises non-light-sensitive voltage multiplying means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
125 words
A solid-state imaging sensor comprising: a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, each of said pixels comprising capacitive storage means and photoconductive means for charging said capacitive storage means in accordance with an intensity of light shone on said pixels; means for supplying charging potential to said photoconductive means having a magnitude determined in accordance with an intensity of light shone on said sensors; wherein said charging potential supplying means comprises means for applying a predetermined potential to said capacitive storage means and photodiode means connected between said supplying means and said storage means for reducing said predetermined potential in accordance with said intensity of light shone on said sensor; and wherein said means for applying said predetermined potential comprises non-light-sensitive voltage multiplying means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The solid-state imaging sensor of claim 6, wherein said photodiode means is disposed along at least two sides of said matrix of pixels.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3944816A
Cited
US4340819A
Cited
US4334151A
Cited
US4338514A
Cited
US4471228A
Cited
US4479062A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-04-14 | 1989-10-14 | 1990-04-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-04-14 | 1993-10-14 | 1994-04-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-04-14 | 1997-10-14 | 1998-04-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |