Solid-state imaging device having plural reset devices for resetting signal lines

摘要

To remove reset noise in pixels while the circuit configuration is kept in low power consumption, a device includes pixels arranged in row and column directions, in which each of the pixels includes a charge-voltage conversion terminal for voltage-converting signal charges transferred from a photoelectric conversion element, and a first reset means for resetting a voltage at the charge-voltage conversion terminal; first signal lines, each of which is connected to the pixels in each column; a scanning means for selecting one row among others; and a second reset means for resetting voltages at the signal lines. In the device, on each selected row, by voltage signals at the charge-voltage conversion terminals and the converted voltage signals from the transferred signal charges are read out to and stored in the signal lines in a floating potential state, and then are output.

主权项

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:
a plurality of pixels arranged in both row and column directions, each of the pixels comprising:
a photoelectric conversion element for photoelectrically converting incident light so as to accumulate signal charges; a charge-voltage conversion terminal for voltage-converting signal charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element into voltage signals; a voltage signal output means for amplifying signals voltage-converted by the charge-voltage conversion terminal; a transfer means for transferring signal charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element to the charge-voltage conversion terminal; and a first reset means for switching between conduction and disconnection to a power source having a first reset voltage for the charge-voltage conversion terminal by on-off control; a plurality of first signal lines capable of being kept in a floating potential state, each of the first signal lines being connected to each of the pixels in each column; a first scanning means for selecting the pixels that output respective signals to the respective first signal lines via the voltage signal output means corresponding to each of the pixels; and a second reset means for switching between conduction and disconnection to a power source having a second reset voltage for the first signal lines by on-off control, wherein the solid-state imaging device executes a noise signal read-out operation in which each of the first signal lines is reset to the second reset voltage by turning on the second reset means and then rendered to be in a floating potential state by turning off the second reset means; each of the charge-voltage conversion terminals in the respective pixels in one row selected by the first scanning means is reset to the first reset voltage by turning on the first reset means and then rendered to be in a floating potential state by turning off the first reset means; individual voltages at the respective charge-voltage conversion terminals are read out to the respective first signal lines in the floating potential state via the voltage signal output means corresponding to each of the respective charge-voltage conversion terminals for a predetermined period of time so that the voltages are stored in the respective first signal lines; and the voltages stored in the respective first signal lines are read out so as to output noise signals from the respective pixels in the one row, and wherein the solid-state imaging device executes an optical signal read-out operation in which each of the first signal lines is reset to the second reset voltage by turning on the second reset means and then rendered to be in a floating potential state by turning off the second reset means; individual signal charges accumulated in the respective photoelectric conversion elements are transferred to the respective charge-voltage conversion terminals by the transfer means corresponding to each of the respective photoelectric conversion elements in the respective pixels in one row selected by the first scanning means; individual voltage signals voltage-converted by the respective charge-voltage conversion terminals are read out to the respective first signal lines in the floating potential state via the voltage signal output means corresponding to each of the respective charge-voltage conversion terminals for the predetermined period of time so that the voltage signals are stored in the respective first signal lines; and the voltages stored in the respective first signal lines are read out so as to output optical signals from the respective pixels in the one row.