IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that variations in electric-charge retention amount appear due to variations in transistor characteristics of an image pickup device, and consequently, it is highly impossible to obtain maximum amplitude of a pixel signal depending on image pickup devices. SOLUTION: A pixel signal generator 3 makes a common power supply voltage V0 as an initialization level V0Lby resetting it during a horizontal blanking period while making a difference between an output voltage of an output transistor Q3, when the common power supply voltage V0 is applied to an electric-charge accumulation part FD after making a reset gate Q1 conductive; and an output voltage of the output transistor Q3, when the electric charges from a photodiode PD are transferred to the electric-charge accumulation part FD after making a transfer gate Q2 conductive, as a pixel signal Sig in a pixel cell 1a group for selected one line. The pixel signal generator 3 also makes the output transistor Q3 in a non-selection state while deactivating it after making the reset gate Q1 conductive. A pixel signal amplitude detector 17 detects amplitude of the pixel signal Sig. An initialization level adjustment 19 adjusts the initialization level V0Lof the common power supply voltage corresponding to the amplitude of the pixel signal Sig. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT