Television – Camera – system and detail – Solid-state image sensor
Reexamination Certificate
2004-11-24
2010-11-09
Ometz, David L (Department: 2622)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Solid-state image sensor
C348S229100, C348S302000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07830436
ABSTRACT:
A pre-amplifier (column region unit) of a solid-state imaging device includes a pixel-signal controller. The pixel-signal controller, for each vertical signal line, detects the level of each pixel signal independently by a pixel-signal detector on the output side of a pixel-signal amplifier, and sets a gain independently to the pixel-signal amplifier according to the level of the signal. At a subsequent stage of the solid-state imaging device, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and a signal extending unit are provided. The A/D converter digitizes a pixel signal, and the digitized pixel signal is corrected by a gain set to the pixel-signal amplifier with reference to a classification signal from the pixel-signal detector, so that the dynamic range of signals of one screen is extended.
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Japanese office action dated Mar. 10, 2008 for Application No. 2003-407966.
Kawahito Shoji
Nakamura Nobuo
Sumi Hirofumi
Durnford-Geszvain Dillon
Ometz David L
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
Sony Corporation
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