Image sensor with stabilized black level and low power consumption

Abstract

The control inputs of reset switch elements 41 to 45 are commonly connected to a row reset line 51. In a line black clamp type, cathodes as reset ends of photodiodes (31) of optical black pixels 21 to 23 are commonly connected to a potential averaging line 30. In a frame black clamp type, potential averaging lines are connected similarly to respective pixel rows on the vertical scanning start side of an optical black pixel region, and the potential averaging lines may be commonly connected to each other to operate just like one pixel row. A first block includes a pixel array and a vertical scanning circuit, while a second block includes sample and hold circuits, a horizontal scanning circuit, an amplifier and an A / D converter 19. In a low power consumption mode, power supply to the second block is ceased in a light integration period of one frame with performing light integration in the pixel array, power supply to the first and second blocks is performed in a read-out period of one frame to read out integrated signals, and power supply to the first and second blocks is ceased in a power-off period of one frame.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates generally to an image sensor, more particularly, to an image sensor having plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, for use in such an electronic camera, an image reader or a facsimile, with a stabilized black level and low power consumption. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] In an image sensor, each light receiving element outputs a signal having an integrated light component and an integrated dark current component. This dark current has a strong temperature dependency that the current becomes about twice with rise of 9° C. [0005] In order to remove the integrated dark current component from the signal to obtain true integrated light signal, in the prior art, the peripheral region of a pixel array was covered with a light shielding film to form an optical black pixel region, and an integrated dark current signal was read out from the optical black pixels in a bl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image sensor capable of preventing variations in black level due to a pixel defect.

[0016] It is another object of the present invention to provide an image sensor capable of obtaining a black clamp level in a shorter time.

[0017] It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image sensor capable of decreasing power consumption by performing fine on / off control of a power source for an internal circuit in a case of a reduced frame rate.

[0019] With this aspect, a potential averaging processing is automatically performed before reading out a signal from the optical black pixel region instead of performing an averaging processing in a black clamp circuit as in the prior art. Therefore, a black level (integrated dark current signal) is stabilized, more correct line black clamp is performed, and lateral stripe noise is reduced, thereby improving an image quality.

[0021] Furthermore, since a black clamp level (an offset value) can be obtained in a shorter time than in the prior art because of the above described reason, there is no problem even if quite many pixels exist in a pixel array and thereby a blanking period is short.

[0023] With this aspect, power supply for the read-out circuit ceases in the light integration period and besides, power supply to the pixel array and the read-out circuit ceases in the power-off period, thereby power consumption in the image sensor can be reduced.

Problems solved by technology

Especially, when a defective pixel exists, an integrated dark current signal suddenly changes as shown in FIG. 19, therefore an offset value becomes incorrect in a black clamp circuit having a integration capacitor for obtaining an average value, which causes lateral stripe noise.

If the width of the optical black pixel region is wide in order to prevent the noise, the offset component could not be obtained in a horizontal blanking period in an image sensor having quite many pixels, or a chip area increases with the result of higher cost.

However, the chip of an image sensor includes an analogue circuit and a digital circuit, power consumption of the analog circuit is larger than that of the digital circuit with a large ratio, and power consumption of an image sensor for taking a moving picture cannot decrease to a great extent by such methods.

When a power source for the analog circuit is on / off controlled, the influence of off appears after one frame, therefore the power source cannot be simply turned off.

Images