Image sensor with capacitance addition means

Claim 2

An image sensor comprising MOS-type solid-state image pickup elements for transferring signals produced in photosensing elements to signal read-out lines through MOS-type switches, said image sensor further comprising reset capacitance addition means for selectively adding a capacitance to each of said signal read-out lines, for supplying sufficient charges required for resetting said photosensing elements during a reset operation.

Claim 3

An image sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reset capacitance addition means comprises switching element means and a capacitance element.

Claim 4

An image sensor as claimed in claim 2, wherein said capacitance element comprises a condenser.

Claim 5

An image sensor as claimed in claim 2, wherein said switching element means comprises a MOS-type switch.

Claim 6

An image sensor as claimed in claim 3, wherein said switching element means comprises a MOS-type switch.

Claim 7

An image sensor as claimed in claim 5, wherein said image sensor additionally comprises addition control line means for use in selectively controlling a reset capacitive addition operation using said reset capacitance addition means, wherein each said MOS-type switch comprising said switching element means has a gate terminal controlled by a voltage applied to said addition control line means.

Claim 8

An image sensor as claimed in claim 6, wherein said reset capacitive addition means are provided as discrete devices which are subsequently interconnected to said signal read-out lines.

Claim 9

An image sensor comprising: a plurality of MOS-type solid-state image pick-up elements, each pick-up element having a photosensing element, arranged in matrix form at the intersection of a respective one of a plurality of first scan lines and a respective one of a plurality of second scan lines orthogonally disposed with respect to said first scan lines, said second scan lines being connected to a common read-out line for transferring signals produced in said pick-up elements in response to switching signals appearing on said first scan lines, wherein the improvement comprises: reset capacitance addition means, connected to said second scan lines, for selectively adding capacitance to each of said second scan lines, for supplying sufficient charges required for resetting said pick-up elements during a reset operation.

Claim 10

An image sensor comprising: a plurality of MOS-type solid-state image pick-up elements, each pick-up element having a photosensing element, arranged in matrix form at the intersection of a respective one of a plurality of first scan lines and a respective one of a plurality of second scan lines orthogonally disposed with respect to said first scan lines, said second scan lines being connected to a common read-out line for transferring signals produced in said pick-up elements in response to switching signals appearing on said first scan lines, wherein the improvement comprises: reset capacitance addition means, connected to said second scan lines, for selectively adding capacitance to each of said second scan lines, for supplying sufficient charges required for resetting said pick-up elements during a reset operation.

Claim 11

An image sensor as claimed in claim 8 further including a control line means and, wherein said capacitance addition means comprises a switching element means and a capacitive element associated with each of said second scan lines, all of said switching element means being connected in common to said control line means.

Claim 12

An image sensor as claimed in claim 9, wherein said control line means is selectively activated to operate said switching element means and to connect said capacitive elements to their respective second scan lines.