Solid state imaging apparatus

Abstract

A solid state imaging apparatus outputs an image of a frame composed of a first number of lines of pixels and a second number of columns of pixels. The signal electric charges are selectively read out from photoelectric conversion elements in the first number of lines. The signal electric charges other than those in the second number of columns are drained from the read out signal electrical charges. The solid state imaging apparatus may be equipped with an additional vertical transfer channel for storing continuous two frames of image simultaneously by cooperating with the vertical electric charge transfer device. Moreover, an additional horizontal transfer channel may be equipped for storing at least one line of the signal electric charges for the second number of columns by cooperating with the horizontal electric charge transfer device. A high quality motion picture can be output at a practical data rate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a solid-state imaging apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing a part of a light-receiving region 2 of the solid-state imaging apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the solid-state imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a plan view and a schematic diagram for explaining an image cutting out method in the solid state imaging apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view for explaining an image cutting out method in the solid state imaging apparatus 102 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing a solid-state imaging apparatus 112 according to a first modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing a solid-state imaging apparatus 122 according to a second modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are diagrams for explaining a VCCD drain 25 according to all the embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a plan view for explaining an image cutting out method in the solid state imaging apparatus 103 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram for explaining a function of a blanking timing correction circuit 45 according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining an image cutting out method in the solid state imaging apparatus 104 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view showing a solid-state imaging apparatus 114 according to a modified example of the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a plan view for explaining an image cutting out method in the solid state imaging apparatus 105 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view showing a conventional solid state imaging apparatus 51 for a DSC for explaining an output method of an HDTV motion picture.

Claims

1. A solid state imaging apparatus that outputs an image of a frame composed of a first number of lines of pixels and a second number of columns of pixels, the apparatus comprising: a semiconductor substrate demarcating a two-dimensional surface;a multiplicity of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a plurality of lines and columns in a light receiving region of the semiconductor substrate, each photoelectric conversion element composing the pixel and generating a signal electric charge in accordance with an incident light;a vertical electric charge transfer device that is arranged vertically between the columns of the photoelectric conversion elements and transfers the signal electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion elements;a plurality of transfer gates each of which controls transfer of the signal electric charge to the vertical electric charge transfer device from the photoelectric conversion element;a power supplying device that has a first power supply line for impressing a transfer pulse to the transfer gates corresponding to the photoelectric conversion elements in the first number of lines of pixels and a second power supply line for impressing a transfer pulse to the transfer gates corresponding to the photoelectric conversion elements in other lines of pixels, wherein the first and the second power supply lines are electrically independent from each other and the power supplying device can control the transfer gates to read out the signal electrical charges only from the photoelectric conversion elements in the first number of lines of pixels;a drain that that drains the signal electric charges corresponding to the photoelectric conversion elements other than the signal electric charges corresponding to the photoelectric conversion elements in the second number of columns of pixels from the read out signal electrical charges of the photoelectric conversion elements in the first number of lines of pixels;a horizontal electric charge transfer device that horizontally transfers the signal electric charges transferred by the vertical electric charge transfer device; andan output circuit that outputs the signal electric charges transferred by the horizontal electric charge transfer device.

2. The solid state imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an additional vertical transfer channel having transfer steps by which continuous two of the frames of image can be stored simultaneously by cooperating with the vertical electric charge transfer device.

3. The solid state imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an additional horizontal transfer channel having transfer steps, by which at least one line of the signal electric charges corresponding to the photoelectric conversion elements in the second number of columns of pixels can be stored by cooperating with the horizontal electric charge transfer device, between the horizontal electric charge transfer device and the output circuit.

4. The solid state imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an additional horizontal transfer channel having transfer steps, by which at least one line of the signal electric charges corresponding to the photoelectric conversion elements in the second number of columns of pixels can be stored by cooperating with the horizontal electric charge transfer device, between the horizontal electric charge transfer device and the output circuit.

5. The solid state imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multiplicity of photo electric conversion elements are positioned on lattice points of a first lattice of a tetragonal matrix and of a second lattice of which each lattice point is positioned at a center of the first lattice in a light receiving region of the semiconductor substrate.