Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Non-single crystal – or recrystallized – semiconductor... – Field effect device in non-single crystal – or...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-26
2003-07-01
Abraham, Fetsum (Department: 2826)
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Non-single crystal, or recrystallized, semiconductor...
Field effect device in non-single crystal, or...
C257S079000, C257S088000, C257S082000, C257S296000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06586771
ABSTRACT:
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application 2000-54582 filed on Feb. 29, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a timing signal generating device for generating a plurality of kinds of timing signals to drive a solid-state image pickup device including a large number of photoelectric converter elements arranged in a matrix shape and a method of generating the plurality of kinds of timing signals.
The present invention further relates to an electronic apparatus including an electronic device driven by a plurality of kinds of timing signals, the apparatus controlling generation of the timing signals using predetermined data.
b) Description of the Related Art
After the technique to mass-produce charge-coupled devices (CCDs) was established, apparatus such as video cameras, digital cameras, and the like using solid-state image pickup devices of CCD type as area image sensors are rapidly prevailing.
On the other hand, with development of personal digital assistants, a solid-state image pickup device of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) type consuming less power than the CCD-type solid-state image pickup device is also being developed.
Each of the CCD-type and MOS-type solid-state image pickup devices for an area image sensor includes a large number of photoelectric converter elements. As the photoelectric converter element, a photo diode is used in many cases.
In this specification, “a large number of photoelectric converter elements arranged in a matrix form” implies not only “a large number of photoelectric converter elements arranged in a square matrix form (including a matrix in which the number of rows is not equal to the number of columns)” but also “a large number of photoelectric converter elements arranged in a shifted-pixel layout”.
In the shifted-pixel layout including a large number of photoelectric converter elements, the photoelectric converter elements in the odd photoelectric converter element columns are respectively shifted relative to those in the even photoelectric converter element columns by about one half of a pitch P
1
of photoelectric converter elements in each photoelectric converter element column in a direction of the column. The photoelectric converter elements in the odd photoelectric converter element rows are respectively shifted relative to those in the even photoelectric converter element rows by about one half of a pitch P
2
of photoelectric converter elements in each photoelectric converter element row in a direction of the row. Each photoelectric converter element row includes photoelectric converter elements of only odd or even photoelectric converter element columns. The pitches P
1
and P
2
may be equal or unequal to each other.
“About one half of the pitch P
1
” includes, in addition to P
1
/2, any value which is different from P
1
/2 because of factors such as a manufacturing error and a rounding error of a pixel position appearing in a design phase or a mask fabrication process and which nevertheless can be regarded as substantially equivalent to P
1
/2 in consideration of obtained performance of the solid-state image pickup device and picture quality thereof. This also applies to “about one half of the pitch P
2
” in this specification.
To obtain image data by a solid-state image pickup device including a large number of photoelectric converter elements in a matrix shape, a plurality of kinds of timing signals are required to appropriately drive various constituent elements disposed in the solid-state image pickup device.
For example, a CCD-type solid-state image pickup device requires such timing signals as driving pulses to drive vertical transfer CCDs (VCCDs), driving pulses to drive a horizontal transfer CCD (HCCD), and horizontal synchronizing pulses. Depending on performance of the solid-state image pickup device or performance of the apparatus using the solid-state image pickup device, overflow drain pulses for electronic shutters, clamp pulses for optical black signals, and the like are required.
Of the timing signals necessary for driving the solid-state image pickup device, the HCCD drive pulses, the horizontal sync pulses, the clamp pulses for optical black signals, the overflow drain pulses for electronic shutters and the like have fundamentally a repetition period of one horizontal scan period. Each of these timing signals has a constant pulse waveform in each horizontal scan period. However, the overflow drain pulse and the like are not always used with a repetition period of one horizontal scan period. The overflow drain pulse is not used under a certain operation mode or the like of the solid-state image pickup device. The number and the pulse waveform of each VCCD drive pulses or the like in one horizontal scan period are not fixed.
In this specification, each of the timing signals fundamentally used with a repetition period of one horizontal scan period to drive the solid-state image pickup device and has a constant pulse waveform is called “class 1 timing signal” depending on cases. The class 1 timing signals include the HCCD drive pulses, the horizontal sync pulses, the clamp pulses for optical black signals, and the overflow drain pulses for electronic shutters.
Each of the timing signals generated in horizontal scan periods to drive the solid-state image pickup device and the number of pulses or the pulse waveform thereof in one horizontal scan period is not fixed is called “class 2 timing signal” depending on cases. The class 2 timing signals include the VCCD drive pulses.
A timing signal generating device to generate class 1 and class 2 timing signals is disposed in or outside the solid-state image pickup device. The timing signal generating device includes a storage and a timing signal generator.
The storage stores data defining the class 1 and class 2 timing signals. The storage also stores data to control generation of each of the class 1 and class 2 timing signals in a unit of one horizontal scan period.
In this specification, data defining class 1 timing signals is called “class 1 timing signal generating data” and data defining class 2 timing signals is called “class 2 timing signal generating data”. Data to control generation of each of the class 1 and class 2 timing signals in a unit of one horizontal scan period is called “signal generation control data”. The class 1 timing signal generating data, the class 2 timing signal generating data, and the signal generation control data are collectively called “timing signal generating data” in some cases.
The timing signal generating device generates, according to the timing signal generating data, each of the class 1 and class 2 timing signals at a predetermined point of time respectively.
The signal generating point of time and the signal waveform of each of the class 1 and class 2 timing signals vary depending on the number of pixels, the drive method, and the like of the solid-state image pickup device. The number of pixels, the drive method, and the like of the solid-state image pickup device generally vary according to specifications of an apparatus using the solid-state image pickup device as an area image sensor.
Heretofore, each time specifications of an apparatus using a solid-state image pickup device as an area image sensor is determined, hardware of a timing signal generating device for the solid-state image pickup device is designed and is fabricated.
Even for a slight change of the hardware, the designing and fabrication of the timing signal generating device require a great expense and a long period of development and hence resultantly raises the price of the product. Due to delay in delivery of the product, a business change may be missed in same cases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a timing signal generating device in which generating points of time and signal waveforms of various kinds of timing signals to drive a solid-state image pickup device can be eas
Abraham Fetsum
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
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