SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS, SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICE, AND SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a solid-state imaging apparatus for outputting a digital signal at high speed without the need to use a high-speed clock. SOLUTION: The solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of pixel circuits 11 disposed in a matrix shape for performing photoelectric conversion upon received light and an A/D conversion unit 70 for converting a signal voltage as a result of the photoelectric conversion into a digital signal represented by a plurality of bits. The A/D conversion unit 70 includes: a reference voltage generating section 40 for generating a plurality of reference voltages being different from one another within a voltage range adaptable for the signal voltage; a high-order bit conversion section 20 which specifies a voltage interval, in which the signal voltage is included, from a plurality of voltage intervals with each reference voltage as a base point and defines a specification result as a value of high-order bits of the digital signal; and a low-order bit conversion section 30 which converts a differential voltage between the reference voltage that is the base point of the specified voltage interval and the signal voltage into low-order bits of the digital signal. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT