Image Pickup Unit Intermittent Reset Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image pickup units lack flexibility in operation timing during image-pickup drive, limiting their degree of freedom and image quality due to overlapping reset operations.
Innovation Solution
An image pickup unit with a drive section that performs line-sequential readout and reset operations, allowing for intermittent line-sequential reset drives multiple times during a frame period, creating non-overlap periods within overlap periods to arbitrarily set reset operation timings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If line-sequential reset drive is performed continuously during one frame period, then reset operation coverage is improved, but residual charge remains high due to overlapping reset operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by dividing the frame period into multiple intermittent line-sequential reset drives, with each drive consisting of multiple line-sequential reset operations separated by non-overlap periods. This periodic interruption allows residual charges to be discharged between operations, eliminating the harmful effect of accumulated residual charge while maintaining comprehensive reset coverage through multiple passes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If reset operation timings are fixed, then device complexity is reduced, but degree of freedom of operations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the frame period into multiple intermittent drive periods, each containing multiple line-sequential reset operations. This segmentation allows independent timing control of each reset operation within the segmented structure, providing flexibility in setting non-overlap periods between operations while maintaining overall system manageability through the modular segmented approach.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the degree of freedom in image-pickup drive operations, reducing residual charges and improving image quality by allowing optimal timing settings for reset operations.
Implementation Method 1
each of the pixels including a photoelectric conversion device... allowing a signal charge obtained by the photoelectric conversion device to be read out
Data Source
AI summary
An image pickup unit including: an image pickup section including pixels, each of the pixels including a photoelectric conversion device; and a drive section performing a line-sequential readout drive and a line-sequential reset drive. The drive section intermittently performs the line-sequential reset drive multiple times during one frame period, to allow a non-overlap period to be provided at least in part of reset operation periods in an overlap period. The overlap period is a period during which a drive period of one of the multiple line-sequential reset drives and a drive period of one of the remaining multiple line-sequential reset drives are overlapped. The non-overlap period is a period during which each of the reset operations by the one of the multiple line-sequential drives is not overlapped with any of the reset operations by the one of the remaining multiple line-sequential reset drives.