JPS6359254A - One-dimensional image sensor device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively reduce electrical load, and to improve detecting sensitivity, by constituting a device so that only one of plural 1st-order transfer lines is connected to a 2nd-order transfer line which takes out an output. CONSTITUTION:In a period when a switch 15 is turned on by a signal J, a detecting signal from photoelectric transducers 111-11n in a first group L can be obtained, and in the above period, a switch 16 is set at an off-state, and a state where a second 2nd-order transfer line 14 is separated, is generated. Similarly, in the period when the switch 16 is turned on, the switch 15 is turned off, and a first 1st-order transfer line 13 is separated. Therefore, the number of the switches for the photoelectric transducers connected and fixed to an output circuit is reduced by half, and the electrical load of the transfer line which guides the detecting signal from the photoelectric transducer to the output circuit can be reduced sufficiently.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a device for detecting a one-dimensional image using a large number of photoelectric conversion elements, and particularly relates to a device that detects a one-dimensional image using a large number of photoelectric conversion elements, and in particular, a device that detects a one-dimensional image using a large number of photoelectric conversion elements. The present invention relates to a one-dimensional image sensor device in which a detection signal is output by an electrical scanning means.

[Prior Art] As a scanning device that electrically scans and outputs detection signals from each of a large number of photoelectric conversion elements, for example,
A method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 8-21473 is known.

In other words, the means disclosed in this publication is such that all the outputs of a large number of photoelectric conversion elements are supplied to one transfer line, and the signals supplied to this transfer line are supplied to an amplifier. The signal is then amplified and output. Therefore, in a scanning means having such a configuration, the transfer line is directly connected to all the photoelectric conversion elements, and this transfer line is necessarily long. , this transfer line itself comes to act as an electrical load. Furthermore, all switches connected to the transfer line also act as target loads.

Therefore, the output signals read out from each of a large number of photoelectric conversion elements in accordance with the sequential scanning command are transmitted to the amplifier after charging the electrical load by the transfer line, and the output signals from the photoelectric conversion elements are transmitted to the amplifier after charging the electrical load by the transfer line. A state is reached in which the detection output signal is output processed with its level reduced.

In other words, this is equivalent to a decrease in the sensitivity of the photoelectric conversion element, and there is a need for ways to further increase this sensitivity. In order to increase the sensitivity of a photoelectric conversion element, it is sufficient to increase the area of the conversion part of the photoelectric conversion element, but increasing this area results in an even greater electrical load on the transfer line. There is a point.

Furthermore, as the electrical load increases, it will take more time to charge the electrical load with the output signal from the photoelectric conversion element. When such a charging time increases, it is impossible to increase the scanning speed for sequentially reading out output signals from each of a large number of photoelectric conversion elements.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] This invention was made in view of the above points, and aims to minimize the electrical load on the transfer line to which output signals from each of a large number of photoelectric conversion elements are supplied. ,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a one-dimensional image sensor device which can prevent a decrease in the output of a photoelectric conversion output signal, and which can effectively measure an improvement in detection sensitivity as well as an improvement in the scanning speed for reading out the conversion output. It is something.

[Means for Solving the Problems] That is, in the one-dimensional image sensor device according to the present invention, a large number of photoelectric conversion elements are divided into a plurality of groups according to their scanning order, and each of the plurality of groups is A first transfer line is set correspondingly. The output signal from each photoelectric conversion element is supplied to the corresponding transfer line,
The signals on each of the primary transfer lines are coupled to a single secondary transfer line, amplified appropriately, and output.

Then, the detection signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are read out by a signal from a carry counter driven by a clock, and are coupled to the corresponding primary transfer line. , and one of the primary transfer lines is selected by the carry counter and coupled to the secondary transfer line.

[Function] In the one-dimensional image sensor device configured as described above, the detection signals from the photoelectric conversion elements are sequentially read out by the signals from the carry counter, and are read out from the corresponding primary transfer line. will be transmitted to. In this state, the first transfer line to which the detection signal is coupled is connected to the second transfer line.
It is connected to the next transfer line, and the signals detected by the photoelectric conversion elements are sequentially read out and transferred to the second transfer line.
It is sent to the next transfer line, amplified as appropriate, and output.

Therefore, only one of the plurality of first-order transfer lines is connected to the second-order transfer line that takes out the output, and the number of switches that select the photoelectric conversion element output is equal to the above-mentioned division. It becomes smaller in proportion to the number. Also,
The length of this secondary transfer line can be small enough to be connected to the primary transfer line, effectively reducing the electrical load and improving detection sensitivity. Furthermore, the scanning speed for signal detection can be improved.

[Embodiments of the invention] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows its configuration, in which a group of photoelectric conversion elements 10 for detecting an image is divided and set into a first group and a second group, each having N photoelectric conversion elements, for example.
N photoelectric conversion elements 111, 112 to lln, 12
1 to 12n. These photoelectric conversion elements 111 to 11n are divided into two groups 11 and 12, for example.

Then, the photoelectric conversion elements 111 of the first group 11
~fin are FET switches 131 to 1, respectively.
3n to the first primary transfer line 13, and the photoelectric conversion elements 121 to 12n of the second group 12 also connect to the second primary transfer line 13 via FET switches 141 to 14n, respectively. It is connected to line 14. The first and second primary transfer lines 13 and 14 are connected to switches 15 by FETs, respectively.
and 1B to a second transfer line 17, and the signal supplied to this second transfer line 17 is outputted via an amplifier 18.

The switches 131-13n, 141-14n1, 15 and 1B are each turned on by a signal from the carry counter '519. This carry counter 1
9, a start command signal A as shown in FIG. 2(A) is inputted, and a lock signal B as shown in FIG. 2(B) is further inputted. After the start signal is input manually, the output lines are sequentially shifted in response to each clock signal to generate switching signals, and the signals shown in (C) to (E) in Figure 2 are generated. Switch 131.1
32.133, and the same figure (F
), (G), and (H) are the signals shown in the switch 13, respectively.
At 141 and 142, the signal shown in (1) in the figure is supplied to the switch 14n. That is, the carry counter 19 sequentially turns on the switches 131 to 13n1 and further 141 to 14n. And photoelectric conversion elements 111-lln, 121-12n
Detection signals are read out sequentially and transmitted to the first and second primary transfer lines 13 and 14.

Further, the carry counter 19 generates a signal shown in (J) in FIG. 2 corresponding to the period in which the switches 131 to 13n corresponding to the first group are controlled to be on.
Further, switches 141-14n corresponding to the second group
A signal shown in (K) of FIG. 2 is generated corresponding to the period in which the switch is turned on. Then, the signals shown in (J) and (K) are supplied to switches 15 and 16, and the signals of the first and second primary transfer lines 13 and 14 are transferred to the second primary transfer lines 13 and 14.
The signal is transmitted to the next transfer line 17 and taken out as an output signal via an amplifier 18.

That is, in the device configured as described above, when the signal shown in FIG. 2(A) is input to the carry counter 19 and the operation is set to start, the lock is activated as shown in FIG. 2(B). When the signal is input, as described above, the signals shown in (C) to (
The signals shown in I) are sequentially generated, and the switch 1
31 to 13n1 and 141 to 14n are sequentially turned on, and the signals detected by the photoelectric conversion elements 111 to 11n and 121 to 12n are sequentially read out. Therefore, photoelectric conversion element 111 = lin and 121-1
Assuming that the optical inputs are all set equal to 2n, the first and second primary transfer lines 13 and 1
4 are supplied with signals as shown in (L) and (M) of FIG.

Here, during the period in which the switches 131 to 13n are on-controlled, the switch 1 is
During the period in which the switch 5 is turned on and the switches 141 to 14n are controlled to be turned on, the switch 16 is turned on by the signal shown in FIG. Therefore, the signals shown in (L) and (M) above are transmitted from the first and second primary transfer lines 13 and 14 to the secondary transfer line 17, and as shown in FIG. ) is generated as an output signal.

That is, during the period when the switch 15 is turned on by the signal shown in (J) in FIG.
A first group of photoelectric transformers 111 as shown in L)
A detection signal from ~lln is obtained, and during this period, the switch 16 is set to an off state, and the second primary transfer line 14 is disconnected. Similarly, during the period when the switch 16 is on, the switch 15 is turned off, and the first primary transfer line 13 is disconnected.

Therefore, the number of switches for photoelectric conversion elements connected to the output circuit is halved, and the length of the transfer line is the same as that of the second transfer line 17 and the first or second transfer line. 13 and 14, and is approximately half the length in relation to the number of photoelectric conversion elements. Therefore, the electrical load on the transfer line that guides the detection signal from the photoelectric conversion element to the output circuit can be sufficiently reduced.

In the above embodiment, a large number of photoelectric conversion elements are divided into two groups, but it goes without saying that the number of divided groups may be even larger. Moreover, when dividing the photoelectric conversion element group, it has been explained that it is divided according to the order in which they are lined up, but this division method can be set arbitrarily. For example, the photoelectric conversion elements may be divided into odd-numbered and even-numbered groups, and furthermore, every second or third photoelectric conversion element may be divided into one group.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, preamplifiers 20 and 21 are connected to the first and second primary transfer lines 13 and 14, respectively, and output signals from the preamplifiers 2o and 21 are connected to the first and second primary transfer lines 13 and 14, respectively. The signal is configured to be supplied to the secondary transfer line 17 via switches 15 and 16. With this configuration, the level of the signal detected by each group of photoelectric conversion elements is adjusted to the preamplifier 20 or 21.
The signal is amplified by the signal, and is transferred to the secondary transfer line 17 and output, so that a detection operation with good sensitivity can be effectively performed.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the one-dimensional image sensor according to the present invention, detection signals from a large number of photoelectric conversion elements are
Reading and detection are performed in a high-speed scanning state, and in this case, the length of the transfer line through which the detection signal is transferred can be set to be sufficiently short relative to the number of photoelectric conversion elements. Therefore, the electrical load on this transfer line can be sufficiently reduced, and the drop in the output of the photoelectric conversion element can be reliably reduced, and high-speed scanning can be executed more reliably and stably. This allows -dimensional images to be detected more reliably and with high sensitivity.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a one-dimensional image sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing signal waveforms of each part of the device to explain the operation of the device, and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the device. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating another embodiment of the invention. 10...Photoelectric conversion element group, LLl to 11n,
121-12n...Photoelectric conversion element, 13.14...
First and second primary transfer lines, 131-13n
5141~14n, 15.1B...Switch, 1
7...Second transfer line, 19...Carry counter. Figure 1 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] A photoelectric conversion means constituted by a large number of photoelectric conversion elements, and a large number of photoelectric conversion elements constituting this photoelectric conversion means are divided into a plurality of groups, and each divided group corresponds to the other. a plurality of primary transfer lines in which the output signals from each of the photoelectric conversion elements constituting each corresponding group are connected in a corresponding manner; a shift counter that scans the command signal and selectively outputs one of the primary transfer lines set corresponding to each of the plurality of groups in correspondence with the readout scan of the photoelectric conversion element; The signal of the first transfer line selected by the shift counter is combined with a single second transfer line that amplifies and outputs the signal, and output signals from a large number of photoelectric conversion elements. What is claimed is: 1. A one-dimensional image sensor device, characterized in that: is scanned and output.