Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Field effect device – Charge transfer device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-03
2003-06-10
Abraham, Fetsum (Department: 2826)
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Field effect device
Charge transfer device
C257S215000, C257S214000, C257S222000, C257S226000, C257S228000, C257S192000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06576938
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image input device using a linear sensor for example, a solid-state image sensing device and a driving method thereof.
2. Description of the Background Art
As a linear sensor, a CCD linear sensor
1
according to an offset-site pick-up method as shown in
FIG. 15A
, for example, has been developed. The CCD linear sensor
1
includes a first sensor array (so-called main sensor array)
3
and a second sensor array (so-called sub sensor array)
4
, both having a plurality of sensor portions
2
to be pixels arranged in one direction. On respective one sides of the sensor arrays
3
and
4
, a first transfer register (so-called main transfer register)
7
and a second transfer register (so-called sub transfer register)
8
in a two-phase driven CCD structure, for example, are provided through reading gate portions
5
and
6
, respectively.
The two sensor arrays
3
and
4
are formed shifted by half a pitch from one another, and, as shown in
FIG. 15B
, the distance X
1
between the sensor arrays
3
and
4
is an integral multiple of the pixel pitch X
2
(X
1
=nX
2
where n=integer). This is for the purpose of raising the MTF (Modulation Transfer Function).
The first and second transfer registers
7
and
8
are connected to a common transfer register portion
9
in a CCD structure to be coupled on the output portion side. Next to the final stage of the common transfer register portion
9
, an output gate portion
10
, and a floating diffusion region
11
, for example, to serve as a charge-voltage conversion portion are provided. A reset gate portion
12
and a reset drain
13
are formed adjacent to the floating diffusion region
11
. The floating diffusion region
11
is connected with an output circuit
14
.
In the CCD linear sensor
1
, when the maximum resolution is necessary, signal charges in the first sensor array (main sensor array)
3
and the second sensor array (sub sensor array)
4
are read out to the transfer registers
7
and
8
, respectively, for transfer therein, and the signals from the first and second sensor arrays
3
and
4
are alternately outputted through the common transfer register portion
9
, the floating diffusion region
11
and the output circuit
14
. Then, the temporal difference between the positions of sensor portions
2
in the first sensor array
3
and sensor portions
2
in the second sensor array
4
is corrected at a signal processing portion for forming an image.
Meanwhile, when only ½ the maximum resolution is necessary for an image, signal charges in the second sensor array
4
are not necessary, and only signal charges in the first sensor array
3
are processed and outputted. In this case, the unnecessary signal charges in the second sensor array
4
are swept away to the reset drain
14
through the reset gate portion
12
via the floating diffusion region
11
.
FIG. 16
shows another CCD linear sensor
16
having a different layout from the sensor array in
FIGS. 15A and 15B
. The CCD linear sensor
16
has a first sensor array (so-called main sensor array)
3
and a second sensor array (so-called sub sensor array)
4
, both having a plurality of sensor portions
2
to be pixels arranged in one direction similarly to the above example. On respective one sides of the sensor arrays
3
and
4
, a first transfer register (so-called main transfer register)
7
and a second transfer register (so-called sub transfer register)
8
in a two-phase driven CCD structure for example are provided through reading gate portions
5
and
6
, respectively.
In the CCD linear sensor
16
, the sensor arrays
3
and
4
are provided on the same side of the transfer registers
7
and
8
, respectively. In the sensor arrays
3
and
4
, before and after the regular sensor portions
2
(S
1
to S
n
) and
2
(S
1
″ to S
n
″) to generate signal charges to form image signals, dummy sensor portions
2
(D
1
″ to D
n
″) and
2
(D
n+1
″ to D
m
) and dummy sensor portions
2
(D
1
″ to D
n
″) and
2
(D
n+1
″ to D
m
) to obtain the black reference level of an output signal are provided. The dummy sensor portions
2
(D
1
to D
n
),
2
(D
1
″ to D
n
″) and
2
(D
n+1
to D
m
),
2
(D
n+1
″ to D
n
″) have their upper surfaces covered with a light shielding film.
The dummy sensor portions are provided in the sensor arrays
3
and
4
in
FIGS. 15A and 15B
as described above.
In addition, similarly to the description in connection with
FIGS. 15A and 15B
, the first and second transfer registers
7
and
8
are connected to the common transfer register portion
9
in the CCD structure so as to be coupled on the output portion side. Next to the terminal end of the common transfer register portion
9
, an output gate portion
10
, and a floating diffusion region
11
, for example, to be a charge-voltage conversion portion are formed. A reset gate portion
12
and a reset drain
13
are formed adjacent to the floating diffusion region
11
. The floating diffusion region
11
is connected with the output circuit
14
.
The CCD linear sensor
16
is driven similarly to the CCD linear sensor
1
shown in
FIGS. 15A and 15B
, as described above, and when a high resolution is necessary, signal charges in the first sensor array (main sensor array)
3
and second sensor array (sub sensor array)
4
are read out and processed to form a high resolution image. If a high resolution is not necessary, signal charges in the second sensor array
4
are not necessary, and only signal charges in the first sensor array
3
are processed for output.
In the CCD linear sensors
1
and
16
, when only signal charges in the first sensor array (main sensor array)
3
are outputted, signal charges generated at the second sensor array (sub sensor array)
4
are swept away to the reset drain
13
. Therefore, the signal charges must be transferred to the floating diffusion region
11
, and the signals in the first sensor array
3
could be affected by the unnecessary signals in the second sensor array
4
.
This is because the signals in the first sensor array
3
and the second sensor array
4
are alternately outputted and subjected to coupling at the output buffer portion (so-called output circuit portion
14
). In particular, if the first sensor array
3
is in a black state, and the spatially separated second sensor array
4
changes from black to white, the signal in the first sensor array
3
subtly changes.
When a reading is performed at a high speed and a high resolution is not necessary, the frequency of a transfer clock pulse must be high, and therefore the data region is shortened, which makes signal processing at the outside difficult.
In a CCD linear sensor in which signal charges of the pixels (sensor portions) in a sensor array are allocated to a plurality of CCD transfer registers and read out, when pixels are thinned and only the signal charges of desired pixels are read out, the signal charges of the selected pixels are affected by the signal charges of the other pixels.
Meanwhile, in a CCD linear sensor such as color CCD linear sensor having a plurality of sensor arrays, if there is a reading mode to selectively read out only signal charges in a prescribed sensor array other than reading out the signal charges in all the sensor arrays, the signal charges in a non-selected array or the charges of a smear component are preferably easily swept away.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the above point, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image input device, a solid-state image sensing device, and a driving method thereof which allow selected signal charges to be unaffected by unnecessary signal charges in a non-selected transfer register or allow the unnecessary signal charges to be easily swept away at the time of reading out signal charges in a desired sensor array or desired sensor portions using a plurality of selected transfe
Hirama Masahide
Noguchi Katsunori
Yoshihara Satoshi
Yoshihiro Nishio
Abraham Fetsum
Kananen, Esq. Ronald P.
Rader & Fishman & Grauer, PLLC
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