JP2011188085A - Solid-state image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a solid-image pickup device for accepting an electronic shutter change command and immediately executing the command. <P>SOLUTION: The solid-state image pickup device having an IT-CCD executes any one of the following operations: accepting an electronic shutter change command in each horizontal blanking interval, determining the command during a horizontal blanking interval one horizontal cycle before the arrival of the electronic shutter timing of the change command and applying an electronic shutter pulse to SUB during a horizontal blanking interval when the electronic shutter timing arrives; accepting an electronic shutter change command in each horizontal blanking interval and even if the electronic shutter timing of the change command has passed but if the horizontal blanking interval is one-tenth or less of a horizontal cycle in a screen, applying the electronic shutter pulse to the SUB during the horizontal blanking interval; accepting an electronic shutter change command in each horizontal blanking interval, and applying a ratio between the electronic shutter timing of the change command and the applied electronic shutter pulse timing to image data to be output as a flag. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus having a solid-state imaging device.

In a silicon imaging device, the saturation characteristic of a photodiode (Photo-Diode or less PD) is varied by varying an electrode voltage such as a substrate (Substrate or less Sub) voltage (hereinafter V-sub). PD charge is swept away by applying a positive pulse voltage to an overflow drain (hereinafter referred to as OD) such as Sub. Among FIT (Frame Coupled Device) (Charge Coupled Device)
In (Interline Transfer) -CCD and IT (Interline Transfer) -CCD, the base (Sub) is OD and is called vertical OD.

The IT-CCD includes a 4-phase IT-CCD and a 3-phase IT-CCD. The 4-phase IT-CCD and the 3-phase IT-CCD are designed to sweep signal charges by applying a high voltage electronic shutter pulse to the SUB, control the accumulation time, and apply a read pulse to V1 etc. Read the signal charge, transfer the signal charge vertically by applying the transfer pulse to V1-V4 or V1-V3, transfer the signal charge horizontally by applying the transfer pulse to H1, H2, RG, and read from the FDA . (See Non-Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 2).
In image processing, the storage time is short with a high-speed electronic shutter, and the electronic shutter is often near the end of the vertical cycle.
A partial scan that reads out a part of the screen at a high frame rate by devising the phase of the sweep-out operation and the read-out operation is also performed (see Patent Document 1).

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional imaging apparatus, which is a camera using one IT-CCD. FIG. 6 shows a timing generation (Timing Generator: hereinafter referred to as TG) that reads an accumulation time determined by the electronic shutter timing before the VD and a built-in vertical transfer drive unit that removes OD, and noise. CDS (Correlated Double Sampling), dark current correction, variable gain amplification circuit (automatic gain control, AGC), ADC (Analog Digital Converter) that converts to digital video signal Vi, horizontal transfer, reset of voltage conversion, CDS, AGC, and ADC The FEP (Front End Processor) with a built-in TG, a signal processing circuit with built-in noise reduction averaging, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Communication between the CPU and the TG is performed during a blanking period (Blanking: BL) so that noise does not enter the image signal.
Accumulation time determined by electronic shutter timing before VD based on the electronic shutter change command received by the CPU of the camera from the PC as shown in FIG. 4 in the flowchart of determining the CCD sweep time for determining the sweep time before the screen. Is read from the CPU into the TG.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 5 of the conventional timing chart, after the camera CPU receives the electronic shutter change command from the PC, the image signal with the electronic shutter changed is read from the CCD two frames later. .

  In addition, SDI (Serial Digital Interface) of high-speed serial data having no low frequency component is used as an NRZ (Non-Return to Zero) scrambled signal for in-studio transmission of video signals.

JP2008-42838A Partial scan

ICX638AKA Data Sheet J08Z21B99 Sony Corporation ICX204 Data Sheet J98809C3Z Sony Corporation

  An object of the present invention is to quickly apply an electronic shutter change command and to output the changed electronic shutter image data quickly.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is directed to an imaging apparatus that outputs image data based on an electronic shutter change command using an IT-CCD, and accepts the electronic shutter change command every horizontal blanking period, and the electronic shutter of the change command. Applying an electronic shutter pulse to the SUB during a horizontal blanking period one electronic cycle before the timing when the horizontal blanking period one timing before the timing comes, and accepting and changing the electronic shutter change command every horizontal cycle Applying an electronic shutter pulse to the SUB in the horizontal period when the electronic shutter timing of the command comes, and accepting an electronic shutter change command every horizontal blanking period, and even if the electronic shutter timing of the change command has passed, If the horizontal period is less than one tenth, applying an electronic shutter pulse to the SUB during the horizontal blanking period, If the shutter change command is received every horizontal cycle and the electronic shutter timing of the change command has passed, if it is less than one tenth of the horizontal cycle in the screen, an electronic shutter pulse is applied to the SUB; Solid-state imaging, wherein at least one of the following is added to image data to be output as a flag: a ratio between the electronic shutter timing of the change command and the applied electronic shutter pulse timing. Device.

  According to the present invention, the electronic shutter change command is quickly applied, and the changed electronic shutter image data is output quickly.

6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention (the electronic shutter is H.BL even if timing is slightly over). 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention (if the timing is slightly over, the electronic shutter is not used in H.BL). 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention (electronic shutter even when timing is slightly over). 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention (the electronic shutter is not used if a little timing has passed). 1 is a timing chart showing the operation of an electronic shutter of an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (electronic shutter even when timing is slightly over). 1 is a timing chart showing the operation of an electronic shutter of an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a timing chart showing an electronic shutter and vertical transfer operation of a four-phase IT-CCD of an imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (electronic shutter even if timing is slightly over). 4 is a timing chart showing the operation of the 4-phase IT-CCD electronic shutter and vertical transfer of the image pickup apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a timing chart showing an electronic shutter and vertical transfer operation of a three-phase IT-CCD of an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (single plate IT-CCD). 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (3-plate IT-CCD). Flow chart showing operation of electronic shutter of conventional imaging apparatus Timing chart showing operation of electronic shutter of conventional imaging apparatus Block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional imaging device (single-plate IT-CCD)

  1A is a flowchart showing the operation of an electronic shutter of an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (H.BL electronic shutter even if timing is slightly over), and an embodiment of the image pickup apparatus according to the present invention. 1B is a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus according to the first embodiment (when the timing is too short, the electronic shutter is not H.BL), and the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1C is a flowchart showing the electronic shutter even when the timing is slightly over, and FIG. 1D is a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a timing chart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2B is a timing chart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention (the electronic shutter is not moved if a little timing has passed), and the four-phase IT- of the image pickup apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 2C of the timing chart showing the operation of the electronic shutter and vertical transfer of the CCD, FIG. 3A of the block diagram (single plate IT-CCD) showing the configuration of the image pickup apparatus of one embodiment of the present invention, and one embodiment of the present invention. This will be described with reference to FIG. 3B of a block diagram (3-plate IT-CCD) showing the configuration of an example imaging apparatus.

  The IT-CCD includes a 4-phase IT-CCD and a 3-phase IT-CCD. The operations of V1 of the 4-phase IT-CCD and V2A and V2B of the 3-phase IT-CCD are the same. 2A and 2B illustrate the operation of V1 of a 4-phase IT-CCD and V2A and V2B of a 3-phase IT-CCD. FIG. 2C of the timing chart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the four-phase IT-CCD and the vertical transfer of the image pickup apparatus of one embodiment of the present invention shows the operation of SUB and V1 to V4, and the image pickup of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2D of the timing chart showing the operation of the electronic shutter and vertical transfer of the 4-phase IT-CCD of the apparatus shows the operation of SUB, V1, V2A, V2B and V3.

  1 is a block diagram illustrating an imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1 and 4 denote an imaging apparatus, 2 denotes a lens unit that forms an incident light, and 3 denotes red (R) and green (G ), A color separation optical system that decomposes into blue (B), 5 is a video signal processing unit that performs various image processing including adaptive averaging on the signal L output from the FEP and converts it into a video signal of a predetermined method, and 6 is an image pickup unit A CPU that controls each part in the apparatus 1, 7, 8, and 9 are IT-CCDs that convert light incident from the lens unit 2 into electrical signals, and 10, 11, and 12 are CDS and darker that remove noise. The FEP generates current correction, an AGC, an ADC that converts the digital video signal Vi, and a horizontal transfer pulse. Reference numeral 13 denotes a read vertical transfer driving unit that generates vertical read and vertical transfer pulses to drive the CCD.

  In FIG. 1A of a flowchart (electronic shutter even when timing is slightly over) showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus of one embodiment of the present invention, 21 is the start, and 22 is the number of HD fall (NH) from the VD fall. Counts, 23 reads the difference between the number of horizontal scanning lines in the vertical scanning period and the exposure time, that is, the number of scanning lines MH of the electronic shutter time, 33 judges M-1 <N, and if YES (Y), returns to 23 and returns NO If (N), proceed to 25; 34: N + (L / 10) <M−1; if YES (Y), proceed to 27; if NO (N), proceed to 35; 35: Decrease number of HD fall (NH) Counting and proceeding to 26, 26 applies an electronic shutter pulse (single shot) to SUB, 27 counts the number of HD falling edges (NH), 28 determines 29 <29 if N <L and YES (Y) If NO (N), proceed to 29, 29 is vertical To N = 0 because the period has been completed, it is the end of 30.

In other words, an electronic shutter change command is received for each horizontal blanking period, and the electronic shutter pulse is determined in the horizontal blanking period one electronic cycle timing before the electronic shutter timing of the change command comes. Is applied to the SUB.
According to the present invention, in the image processing, the high-speed electronic shutter has a short accumulation time, and the electronic shutter is often near the end of the vertical cycle. An electronic shutter change command is received and executed.
Furthermore, it is a device for performing communication between the CPU and the TG during the horizontal blanking period (H.BL) so that noise is not mixed in the image signal.

  In FIG. 1B of the flowchart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention (the electronic shutter is not activated if a little timing has passed), the difference from FIG. 1A is that 34 is N + (L / 10). <M-1 is determined, and if YES (Y), the process proceeds to 27. If NO (N), the process proceeds to 26. Instead, N <M of 36 is determined, and if YES (Y), the process proceeds to 27 and 35 if NO (N). It is going to go to.

  That is, an electronic shutter change command is received every horizontal blanking period, and even if the electronic shutter timing of the change command has passed, if it is less than one tenth of the horizontal period in the screen, an electronic shutter pulse is sent during the horizontal blanking period. Apply to.

  In FIG. 1C of a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention (electronic shutter even when timing is slightly over), 21 indicates the start, and 22 indicates the number of HD falling (NH) from the VD falling. 23, the difference between the number of horizontal scanning lines in the vertical scanning period and the exposure time, that is, the number of scanning lines MH in the electronic shutter time, is read. 24 determines M <N, and if YES (Y), returns to 23 and returns NO (N ), The process proceeds to 25. 25 determines N + (L / 10) <M. If YES (Y), the process proceeds to 27. If NO (N), the process proceeds to 26. 26 applies an electronic shutter pulse (single shot) to the SUB. Counts the number of falling HDs (NH), 28 determines if N <L, 29 returns to 27 if YES (Y) and proceeds to 29 if NO (N), 29 is N = Set to 0, 30 is the end.

In other words, an electronic shutter change command is received every horizontal cycle, and an electronic shutter pulse is applied to the SUB if the electronic shutter timing of the change command has passed and is less than one tenth of the horizontal cycle in the screen.
In order to prevent noise from being mixed into the image signal even if communication between the CPU and the TG is performed during the horizontal blanking period (H.BL), the CPU and the TG are integrated with the FPGA, or between the CPU and the TG. The communication may be devised as high-speed serial data having no low frequency component such as NRZ (None Return to Zero).

In FIG. 1D of the flowchart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention (the electronic shutter is not activated if a little timing has passed), the difference from FIG. 1A is that 25 is N + (L / 10). <M is determined, and if YES (Y), the process proceeds to 27. If NO (N), the process proceeds to 26. Instead, N <M of 32 is determined, and if YES (Y), the process proceeds to 27. If NO (N), the process proceeds to 26. That is,
That is, in an imaging apparatus that outputs image data based on an electronic shutter change command using an IT-CCD, the electronic shutter pulse is received at every horizontal cycle when the electronic shutter change command is received at every horizontal cycle, and the electronic shutter pulse is received at the horizontal cycle. Is applied to the SUB.

In FIGS. 1A and 1B of the flowchart showing the operation of the electronic shutter of the image pickup apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the electronic shutter timing read as 32 and the electronic shutter timing applied to the SUB is written in the flag.
That is, an electronic shutter change command is received every horizontal period, and a ratio between the electronic shutter timing of the change command and the applied electronic shutter pulse timing is added to image data to be output as a flag.

  The operation of the four-phase IT-CCD has been described in detail above, but the operation of V1 is the same as that of the three-phase IT-CCD except that the operation of V1 to V3 is different, and the present invention can be applied.

  Also more

1, 4, 20,: imaging device, 2: lens unit,
3: Color separation optical system, 5: Video signal processing unit, 6: CPU
7, 8, 9: IT-CCD,
10, 11, 12: FEP including CDS, AGC, and A / D
13: Read vertical transfer driver including TG and read,
14: Read vertical transfer drive unit including TG and OD drive and read,
15: Video signal processing unit,

Claims (1)

In an imaging apparatus that outputs image data based on an electronic shutter change command using an IT-CCD,
An electronic shutter change command is accepted for each horizontal blanking period, and the electronic shutter pulse is transmitted in the horizontal blanking period when the electronic shutter timing has come, with the electronic shutter timing of the change command determined in the horizontal blanking period one horizontal cycle before coming. Applying to the
Receiving an electronic shutter change command every horizontal cycle, and applying an electronic shutter pulse to the SUB at a horizontal cycle when the electronic shutter timing of the change command has come;
An electronic shutter change command is received every horizontal blanking period, and if the electronic shutter timing of the change command has passed, if it is less than one-tenth of the horizontal cycle in the screen, an electronic shutter pulse is applied to the SUB during the horizontal blanking period To do
Accepting an electronic shutter change command every horizontal cycle, and applying an electronic shutter pulse to the SUB if the electronic shutter timing of the change command has passed and if it is less than one tenth of the horizontal cycle in the screen;
Receiving an electronic shutter change command every horizontal period, and adding the ratio of the electronic shutter timing of the change command and the applied electronic shutter pulse timing to the image data to be output as a flag;
And a solid-state imaging device.