IMAGING ELEMENT, GAIN CONTROL METHOD, PROGRAM, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE

WIPO Patent Application WO/2015/159730

A1

This disclosure pertains to an imaging element, a gain control method, a program, and electronic device that make it possible to capture high-quality or high-dynamic-range images with reduced power consumption. This imaging element is provided with an analog-to-digital conversion unit and a reference-signal generation unit. The analog-to-digital conversion unit performs analog-to-digital conversion on pixel signals outputted from pixels, and the reference-signal generation unit generates a reference signal that is used as a reference when said analog-to-digital conversion is performed on the pixel signals. The reference-signal generation unit has a prescribed number of paired transistors that are part of a current-mirror circuit and a switching unit that switches the number of transistors connected to the current-mirror circuit. When, on the basis of the brightness of a captured image, a high gain is used for the analog-to-digital conversion performed on the pixel signals by the analog-to-digital conversion unit, the switching unit is controlled so as to reduce the number of transistors connected to the current-mirror circuit. This technology can be applied, for example, to a CMOS image sensor.

JP3069977	[Name of device] Magnetic therapy device
JP2002289826	SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA SYSTEM USING THE SAME
JP4478730	Scanning imager using multiple chips with staggered pixels

OKADA CHIHIRO (JP)

PCT/JP2015/060553

October 22, 2015

April 03, 2015

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SONY CORP (JP)

H04N5/378

JP2009038772A	2009-02-19
JP2008312179A	2008-12-25
JP2007059991A	2007-03-08

NISHIKAWA Takashi et al. (JP)
Nishikawa 孝 (JP)

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