US 7,522,199 B2
Imaging device with light-shielding region, control method thereof and CMOS image sensor with light-shielding region
Jun Funakoshi, Kawasaki (Japan); Katsuyoshi Yamamoto, Kawasaki (Japan); Asao Kokubo, Kawasaki (Japan); Toshitaka Mizuguchi, Kawasaki (Japan); and Tsuyoshi Higuchi, Kawasaki (Japan)
Assigned to Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Nov. 24, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/995,394.
Claims priority of application No. 2004-197333 (JP), filed on Jul. 02, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2006/0001753 A1, Jan. 05, 2006
Int. Cl. H04N 9/64 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 348—245 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging device in which a light-shielding region is formed in a part of an image region where a plurality of optical/electrical conversion devices is two-dimensionally arrayed in the row and column directions, comprising:
a read circuit for converting an optically detected signal outputted from each of the optical/electrical conversion devices in a light-receiving region for each column into a first digital signal corresponding to the light-receiving region and for converting an optically detected signal outputted from each of the optical/electrical conversion devices in a light-shielding region for each column into a second digital signal corresponding to a light-shielding region;
a storage device for storing the second digital signal;
a difference calculation device being provided for each column and for calculating a difference between the first digital signal and a value stored in the storage device;
a second storage device for storing at least one of a maximum value, a minimum value, and a mean value of the maximum value and the minimum value, of the second digital signals;
a second difference calculator for calculating a difference between the at least one of the maximum value, the minimum value, and the mean value and the second digital signal and storing the difference in a third storage device; and
an adder for summing the value stored in the third storage device and the at least one of the maximum value, the minimum value, and the mean value stored in the second storage device to reproduce the second digital signal and inputting the reproduced second digital signal to said difference calculator.