SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE

摘要

The present invention relates to solid state imaging or devices and in particular to such devices provided with electronic exposure control means. The device comprises a 2-D array of sensing cells (3), and horizontal and vertical scanning means (4, 5) coupled to each cell (3). The vertical scanning means (5) comprises a plurality of vertical scanning lines (11), each commonly connected to sensing cells (3) arranged in a horizontal direction (12), and vertical shift register means (6) having outputs connected to the vertical scanning lines (11) for driving them with control pulses so as to cause each line to be successively reset and then sampled after a variable period defining an integration time. The vertical shift register means comprises a single vertical shift register (6) formed and arranged to be driven with an input f i so as to drive a group of successive vertical scanning lines (11) during each line period. Global reset and sample signal drive means are connected (14, 15) to each of said lines (11) via a decode cell (10), each of which is connected to the decode cells (10) of preceding and succeeding lines i + 1 and i - 1. The decode cells (10) are formed and arranged so that the leading line i of the group of lines from i + n + 1 to N and 1 to i being reset is sampled, the number of lines in the group being reset determining the number of lines in a group ahead of the sampled line i which are not being reset and hence the integration time, whereby the integration time may be varied by variation of the input f i to the vertical shift register (6). The present invention also provides a method of automatically electronically controlling exposure using a solid state image pick-up device of the invention.