Image capture apparatus, signal processing apparatus, and signal processing

Abstract

The invention discloses an image capture apparatus, signal processing apparatus, signal processing method and computer program product. An image capture apparatus includes a charge coupled device (CCD), an analog front end circuit, and a control unit. The CCD individually output an image capture signal corresponding to each of divided areas of an image capture area through a horizontal CCD. The analog front end circuit includes an amplifier and a digital converting unit for converting into digital data. The control unit controls a drive level of a reset gate signal for resetting process of the horizontal CCD, and controls the drive level of the reset gate signal according to a gain setting value of the amplifier to lower the drive level of the reset gate signal when the gain setting value of the amplifier is relatively low, and to raise the drive level of the reset gate signal when the gain setting value of the amplifier is relatively high.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to an image acquisition device, a signal processing device, a signal processing method and a computer program product. Background technique [0002] Charge-coupled devices (CCDs) are widely used as image pickup devices for cameras, such as video cameras and still cameras. In a general type of existing CCD, after detecting imaging information about one frame with many photodetectors (PDs), a charge signal generated by photoelectric conversion is read through a vertical CCD and a horizontal CCD to be converted into a data stream, and then The data stream is output from an output channel. The CCD and signal processing configuration of this single-channel output type will be described with reference to FIG. 1 . [0003] The CCD 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a vertical CCD 11 for vertically transferring charges accumulated in a photodetector (PD) provided as an image pickup device constituting the CCD; and a lateral CCD 12 for transferring...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0014] (2) There is a difference in the characteristics of the output amplifier of the CCD,

[0015] (3) Differences in characteristics of gain amplifiers with AFE

[0017] (2A) There are characteristic differences between left and right lateral CCDs, and

[0018] (2B) There is a characteristic difference between the left and right floating diffusion amplifiers at the final stage of the lateral CCD

In addition, there is a problem that not finding any highly correlated pixel region in each separation region can lead to infeasibility of processing

[0024] As mentioned above, the use of dual output CCDs may produce variations between left and right output image brightness levels depending on left and right lateral CCD transfer characteristics and / or left and right output amplifier unit characteristics Certain differences, which often result in a more pronounced border in the central image portion of the image acquisition area

Although some techniques have been proposed to eliminate these discrepancies, any of these techniques require additional processing configurations, such as control data acquisition and analysis, and involve the problem that no highly correlated pixel region can be found in each separated region. lead to the infeasibility of processing

However, the gain characteristics of the gain control amplifier unit (AMP) are not always equal between the two LSIs constituting the analog front ends (AFE) 61 and 62, so it is considered that when the Type) target imaging is difficult to reduce the boundary

Additionally, it is difficult to specify in advance the difference in characteristics between two gain-controlled amplifiers, creating difficulties in determining individual gain settings

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