Image pickup device of the frame transfer type and image pickup arrangement using the same

Claim 2

An image pickup device of the frame transfer type comprising: (a) an image pickup array consisting of a plurality of photoelectric converting cells which form rows and columns; (b) a storage array which consists of a plurality of charge accumulating cells forming rows and columns and is shielded against the light, the number of columns of said storage array being two or more times the number of columns of said image pickup array; and (c) register means for sequentially reading out the charges of each row of said storage array.

Claim 3

An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the number of rows of said storage array is about one half of the number of rows of said image pickup array.

Claim 4

An image pickup device according to claim 1, further including gate means, provided between said image pickup array and said storage array, for selectively introducing the charges of a predetermined column of the image pickup array to a predetermined column of the storage array.

Claim 5

An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said register means includes a plurality of horizontal shift registers.

Claim 6

An image pickup device according to claim 4, wherein each of said horizontal shift registers serves to read out the charges of one or more predetermined columns of the storage array, respectively.

Claim 7

An image pickup device according to claim 5, further including distributing means for distributing the charges of each column of the storage array to each of said horizontal shift registers.

Claim 8

An image pickup device according to claim 5, wherein said predetermined columns are selected as alternate columns from the columns of said storage array.

Claim 9

An image pickup device according to claim 1, further including a plurality of electrodes each of which is common to each predetermined two adjacent cells of the storage array and which are separated from one another and which control the potentials of each cell.

Claim 10

An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said register means reads out the selected charges of the rows of said storage array.

Claim 11

A device according to claim 9, wherein said register means includes a plurality of horizontal shaft registers.

Claim 12

A device according to claim 10, wherein said predetermined column is selected as every other column, from the columns of said storage array.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 9, wherein each of said horizontal shift registers serves to read out the charges of a predetermined column of the storage array, respectively.

Claim 14

A device according to claim 9, wherein said register means reads out the selected charges of the rows of said storage array.

Claim 15

An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein selected cells of said storage array are arranged at a position displaced from the other cells of said storage array in a vertical direction.

Claim 16

An image pickup device of the frame transfer type comprising: (a) an image pickup array consisting of a plurality of photoelectric converting cells which form rows and colmns; (b) a storage array which consists of a plurality of charge accumulating cells forming rows and columns and is shielded against the light, said storage array having a plurality of electrodes each of which is common to each predetermined two adjacent charge accumulating cells and which are separated from one another and which control the potential of each cell; and (c) register means for sequentially reading out the charges of each row of said storage array.

Claim 17

An image pickup device of the frame transfer type comprising: (a) an image pickup array consisting of a plurality of photoelectric converting cells which form rows and colmns; (b) a storage array which consists of a plurality of charge accumulating cells forming rows and columns and is shielded against the light, said storage array having a plurality of electrodes each of which is common to each predetermined two adjacent charge accumulating cells and which are separated from one another and which control the potential of each cell; and (c) register means for sequentially reading out the charges of each row of said storage array.

Claim 18

An image pickup device of the frame transfer type comprising: (a) an image pickup array consisting of a plurality of photoelectric converting cells which form rows and columns; (b) a storage array which consists of a plurality of charge accumulating cells forming rows and columns and is shielded against the light, selected ones of said charge accumulating cells being arranged at a position displaced from the other charge accumulating cells of said storage array in a vertical direction; and (c) register means for sequentially reading out the charges of each row of said storage array.

Claim 19

An image pickup device of the frame transfer type comprising: (a) an image pickup array consisting of a plurality of photoelectric converting cells which form rows and columns; (b) a storage array which consists of a plurality of charge accumulating cells forming rows and columns and is shielded against the light, selected ones of said charge accumulating cells being arranged at a position displaced from the other charge accumulating cells of said storage array in a vertical direction; and (c) register means for sequentially reading out the charges of each row of said storage array.

Claim 20

An image pickup device according to claim 16, further including electrodes each of which is common to each predetermined two adjacent charge accumulating cells and which are separated from one another, and which control the potential of each charge accumulating cell.

Claim 21

An image pickup arrangement comprising: (a) an image pickup device including (i) an image pickup array having a plurality of photoelectric converting cells forming rows and columns and electrodes for controlling said cells, (ii) a storage array which consists of a plurality of charge accumulating cells forming rows and columns and electrodes for controlling said cells and is shielded against the light, the number of columns of said storage array being twice or more times the number of columns of said image pickup array, and (iii) register means for sequentially reading out the charges of each row of the storage array; and (b) a signal generator for applying to each electrode control signals to distributing the charges of a pretermined column of said image pickup array to a predetermined column of said storage array.

Claim 22

An image pickup arrangement comprising: (a) an image pickup device including (i) an image pickup array having a plurality of photoelectric converting cells forming rows and columns and electrodes for controlling said cells, (ii) a storage array which consists of a plurality of charge accumulating cells forming rows and columns and electrodes for controlling said cells and is shielded against the light, the number of columns of said storage array being twice or more times the number of columns of said image pickup array, and (iii) register means for sequentially reading out the charges of each row of the storage array; and (b) a signal generator for applying to each electrode control signals to distributing the charges of a pretermined column of said image pickup array to a predetermined column of said storage array.

Claim 23

An image pickup arrangement comprising: (a) an image pickup device including (i) an image pickup array consisting of a plurality of photoelectric converting cells which form rows and columns, (ii) a storage array which consists of a plurality of charge accumulating cells forming rows and columns and is shielded against the light, the number of columns of said storage array being twice or more times the number of columns of said image pickup array, (iii) register means for sequentially reading out the charges of each row of said storage array, and (iv) gate means, provided between said image pickup array and said storage array, for selectively introducing the charges of a predetermined column of the image pickup array to a predetermined column of the storage array; and (b) a signal generator for producing control signals to distribute the charges of a predetermined column of the image pickup array to a predetermined column of the storage array by said gate means.

Claim 24

An image pickup arrangement comprising: (a) an image pickup device including (i) an image pickup array consisting of a plurality of photoelectric converting cells which form rows and columns, (ii) a storage array which consists of a plurality of charge accumulating cells forming rows and columns and is shielded against the light, the number of columns of said storage array being twice or more times the number of columns of said image pickup array, (iii) register means for sequentially reading out the charges of each row of said storage array, and (iv) gate means, provided between said image pickup array and said storage array, for selectively introducing the charges of a predetermined column of the image pickup array to a predetermined column of the storage array; and (b) a signal generator for producing control signals to distribute the charges of a predetermined column of the image pickup array to a predetermined column of the storage array by said gate means.

Claim 25

An image pickup arrangement comprising: (a) an image pickup device including (i) an image pickup array consisting of a plurality of photoelectric converting cells which form rows and columns, (ii) a storage array which consists of a plurality of charge accumulating cells forming rows and columns and is shielded against the light, said storage array having a plurality of electrodes each of which is common to each predetermined two adjacent charge accumulating cells and which are separated from one another and which control the potential of each cell, and (iii) register means for sequentially reading out the charges of each row of said storage array; and (b) a signal generator for selectively and vertically transferring the charges of a predetermined column of the storage array by independently contolling said plurality of electrodes, respectively.

Claim 26

An image pickup arrangement comprising: (a) an image pickup device including (i) an image pickup array consisting of a plurality of photoelectric converting cells which form rows and columns, (ii) a storage array which consists of a plurality of charge accumulating cells forming rows and columns and is shielded against the light, said storage array having a plurality of electrodes each of which is common to each predetermined two adjacent charge accumulating cells and which are separated from one another and which control the potential of each cell, and (iii) register means for sequentially reading out the charges of each row of said storage array; and (b) a signal generator for selectively and vertically transferring the charges of a predetermined column of the storage array by independently contolling said plurality of electrodes, respectively.

Claim 29

A device according to claim 21, wherein the number of rows of said storage array is about one half of the number of rows of said image pickup array.

Claim 30

A device according to claim 21, further including gate means, provided between said image pickup array and said storage array, for selectively introducing the charges of a predetermined column of the image pickup array to a predetermined column of the storage array.