Image pickup apparatus having coordinated clamping and anti-blooming means

Claim 2

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means for converting an image into an electrical signal; (b) removal means for removing at least part of said electrical signal; (c) clamp means for clamping said electrical signal at a predetermined timing; and (d) inhibition means for inhibiting a predetermined timing clamp operation of said clamp means during the operation of said removal means.

Claim 3

An image pickup device of claim 1, wherein said clamp means performs a clamp operation in response to a clamp pulse, and said inhibition means is means for inhibiting generation of said clamp pulse during the operation of said removal means.

Claim 4

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means for converting an image into an electrical signal; (b) removal means for removing at least part of said electrical signal; (c) clamp means for clamping said electrical signal; and (d) inhibition means for inhibiting the operation of said removal means from a predetermined time before said clamp means performs a clamp operation.

Claim 5

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means for converting an image into an electrical signal; (b) removal means for removing at least part of said electrical signal; (c) clamp means for clamping said electrical signal; and (d) inhibition means for inhibiting the operation of said removal means from a predetermined time before said clamp means performs a clamp operation.

Claim 6

An image pickup device of claim 3, wherein said predetermined time is a time from when the operation of said removal means is inhibited to when the operation of said removal means does not exert at least substantial adverse influence upon said electrical signal.

Claim 7

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means for accumulating an image signal during a predetermined accumulation period; (b) readout means for reading out said image signal accumulated by said image pickup means, after the lapse of said accumulation period; (c) clamp means for clamping the image signal read out by said readout means; (d) removal means for removing said image signal during said accumulation period; and (e) inhibition means for inhibiting a clamp operation of said clamp means during the operation of said removal means.

Claim 8

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means for accumulating an image signal during a predetermined accumulation period; (b) readout means for reading out said image signal accumulated by said image pickup means, after the lapse of said accumulation period; (c) clamp means for clamping the image signal read out by said readout means; (d) removal means for removing said image signal during said accumulation period; and (e) inhibition means for inhibiting a clamp operation of said clamp means during the operation of said removal means.

Claim 9

An image pickup device of claim 5, wherein said clamp means performs a clamp operation in response to a clamp pulse, and said inhibition means is means for inhibiting generation of said clamp pulse during the operation of said removal means.

Claim 10

An image pickup device of claim 5, wherein said removal means is means for driving said readout means during said accumulation period.

Claim 11

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means having a function to accumulate an image signal during a predetermined accumulation period; (b) storage means for storing an image signal accumulated in said image pickup means and transferred after a lapse of said accumulation period; (c) readout means for sequentially reading out said image signal stored in said storage means, said sequential readout taking the same time as said accumulation period; (d) signal processing means for performing a clamp operation of the image signal read out by said readout means for every period shorter than said accumulation period and processing said image signal based on the results of said clamp operation; (e) removal means for removing said image signal accumulated in said image pickup means during said accumulation period; and (f) inhibition means for inhibiting the clamp operation of said clamp means during the operation of said removal means.

Claim 12

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means having a function to accumulate an image signal during a predetermined accumulation period; (b) storage means for storing an image signal accumulated in said image pickup means and transferred after a lapse of said accumulation period; (c) readout means for sequentially reading out said image signal stored in said storage means, said sequential readout taking the same time as said accumulation period; (d) signal processing means for performing a clamp operation of the image signal read out by said readout means for every period shorter than said accumulation period and processing said image signal based on the results of said clamp operation; (e) removal means for removing said image signal accumulated in said image pickup means during said accumulation period; and (f) inhibition means for inhibiting the clamp operation of said clamp means during the operation of said removal means.

Claim 13

An image pickup device of claim 8, wherein the clamp operation of said signal processing means is performed in response to a clamp pulse, and said inhibition means is means for inhibiting generation of said clamp pulse during the operation of said removal means.

Claim 14

An image pickup device of claim 8, wherein said image pickup means is image pickup cells arranged in a two-dimensional configuration, and said clamp means performs a clamp operation every time said readout means reads out a one line image signal from said image pickup cells.

Claim 15

An image pickup device of claim 8, wherein said image pickup means has a potential well and accumulates said signal in said potential well.

Claim 16

An image pickup device of claim 11, wherein said removal means removes said image signal by controlling the depth of said potential well.

Claim 17

An image pickup device of claim 12, wherein said image pickup means has a charge removal area, and said removal means transfers said image signal to said charge removal area by controlling said potential well.

Claim 18

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means for accumulating an image signal for a predetermined accumulation period; (b) readout means for reading out said image signal accumulated by said image pickup means, after the lapse of said accumulation period; (c) clamp means for clamping the image signal read out by said readout means; (d) removal means for removing said image signal during said accumulation period by utilizing a read out operation of said readout means; and (e) inhibition means for inhibiting the operation of said removal means from a predetermined time before the time when said clamp means performs a clamp operation.

Claim 19

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means for accumulating an image signal for a predetermined accumulation period; (b) readout means for reading out said image signal accumulated by said image pickup means, after the lapse of said accumulation period; (c) clamp means for clamping the image signal read out by said readout means; (d) removal means for removing said image signal during said accumulation period by utilizing a read out operation of said readout means; and (e) inhibition means for inhibiting the operation of said removal means from a predetermined time before the time when said clamp means performs a clamp operation.

Claim 20

An image pickup device of claim 14, wherein said predetermined time is a time from when the operation of said removal means is inhibited to when the operation of said removal means does not give at least substantial adverse influence upon said electrical signal.

Claim 21

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means having a function to accumulate an image signal during a predetermined accumulation period; (b) storage means for storing an image signal accumulated in said image pickup means and transferred after a lapse of said accumulation period; (c) readout means for sequentially reading out said image signal stored in said storage means, said sequential readout taking the same time as said accumulation period; (d) signal processing means for performing a clamp operation of the image signal read out by said readout means for every period shorter than said accumulation period and processing said image signal based on the results of said clamp operation; (e) removal means for removing said image signal accumulated in said image pickup means during said accumulation period by utilizing a readout operation of said readout means; and (f) inhibition means for inhibiting the operation of said removal means from a predetermined time before the time when said clamp means performs a clamp operation.

Claim 22

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means having a function to accumulate an image signal during a predetermined accumulation period; (b) storage means for storing an image signal accumulated in said image pickup means and transferred after a lapse of said accumulation period; (c) readout means for sequentially reading out said image signal stored in said storage means, said sequential readout taking the same time as said accumulation period; (d) signal processing means for performing a clamp operation of the image signal read out by said readout means for every period shorter than said accumulation period and processing said image signal based on the results of said clamp operation; (e) removal means for removing said image signal accumulated in said image pickup means during said accumulation period by utilizing a readout operation of said readout means; and (f) inhibition means for inhibiting the operation of said removal means from a predetermined time before the time when said clamp means performs a clamp operation.

Claim 23

An image pickup device of claim 16, wherein said predetermined time is a time when the operation of said removal means is inhibited to when the operation of said removal means does not give at least substantial adverse influence upon said electrical signal.

Claim 24

An image pickup device of claim 16, wherein said image pickup means comprises image pickup cells arranged in a two-dimensional configuration, and said clamp means performs a clamp operation every time said readout means reads out a one line image signal from said image pickup cells.

Claim 25

An image pickup device of claim 16, wherein said image pickup means has a potential well and accumulates said signal in said potential well.

Claim 26

An image pickup device of claim 16, wherein said removal means removes said image signal by controlling the depth of said potential well.

Claim 27

An image pickup device of claim 16, wherein said image pickup means has a charge removal area, and said removal means transfers said image signal to said charge removal area by controlling said potential well.

Claim 28

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means having a function to accumulate an image signal during a predetermined accumulation period; (b) storage means for storing an image signal accumulated in said image pickup means and transferred after a lapse of said accumulation period; (c) readout means for sequentially reading out said image signal stored in said storage means, said sequential readout taking the same time as said accumulation period; (d) signal processing means for performing a clamp operation of the image signal read out by said readout means for every period shorter than said accumulation period and processing said image signal based on the results of said clamp operation; (e) removal means for removing said image signal accumulated in said image pickup means during said accumulation period; and (f) control means for disabling the clamp operation of said clamp means during the operation of said removal means and processing the image signal based on the result of the previous clamp operation.

Claim 29

An image pickup device comprising: (a) image pickup means having a function to accumulate an image signal during a predetermined accumulation period; (b) storage means for storing an image signal accumulated in said image pickup means and transferred after a lapse of said accumulation period; (c) readout means for sequentially reading out said image signal stored in said storage means, said sequential readout taking the same time as said accumulation period; (d) signal processing means for performing a clamp operation of the image signal read out by said readout means for every period shorter than said accumulation period and processing said image signal based on the results of said clamp operation; (e) removal means for removing said image signal accumulated in said image pickup means during said accumulation period; and (f) control means for disabling the clamp operation of said clamp means during the operation of said removal means and processing the image signal based on the result of the previous clamp operation.

Claim 30

An image pickup device of claim 22, wherein said image pickup means is image pickup cells arranged in a two-dimensional configuration, and said clamp means performs a clamp operation every time said readout means reads out a one line image signal from said image pickup cells.

Claim 31

An image pickup device of claim 22, wherein said image pickup means has a potential well and accumulates said signal in said potential well.

Claim 32

An image pickup device of claim 22, wherein said removal means removes said image signal by controlling the depth of said potential well.

Claim 33

An image pickup device of claim 22, wherein said image pickup means has a charge removal area, and said removal means transfers said image signal to said charge removal area by controlling said potential well.

Claim 36

A device of claim 27, wherein said electrical signal generator means includes: (a) image pickup means for converting an image into an electrical signal; and (b) readout means for time-serially reading out said electrical signal.

Claim 37

A device of claim 28, wherein said image pickup means is constructed of a plurality of image pickup cells, and said readout means time-serially reads out signals from said image pickup cells.

Claim 38

A device of claim 29, wherein said clamp means clamps said signal every time a predetermined number of said image pickup cells are read out.

Claim 39

A device of claim 27, wherein said means producing a level change of said electrical signal is a drive signal for performing a particular operation of said electrical signal generator means.

Claim 40

A device of claim 31, wherein said drive signal is a signal for removing said electrical signal.

Claim 41

A device of claim 32, wherein said electrical signal generator means includes: (a) image pickup means for converting an image into an electrical signal; and (b) readout means for time-serially reading out said electrical signal.

Claim 42

A device of claim 32, wherein said image pickup means comprises a plurality of image pickup cells, and said readout means time-serially reads out signals from said image pickup cells.

Claim 43

A device of claim 34, wherein said clamp means clamps said signal every time a predetermined number of said image pickup cells are read out.