Solid state imaging device wherein a plurality of picture elements each comprising a MOSFET and a photodiode connected to a source electrode of the MOSFET are arranged in rows and columns. The gate electrodes of the MOSFET in each row are connected in common, the drain electrodes in odd numbered rows and the drain electrodes in even numbered rows are connected in common, respectively within each column and connected to source electrodes of first and second switching MOSFET, respectively, arranged for each column. Drawn electrodes of the first switching MOSFET and drain electrodes of the second switching MOSFET are connected to first and second output lines, respectively, which are connected to input terminals of a differential amplifier. Photo spurious signals sensed at the drain regions of the MOSFET of the picture elements and noise spikes caused by gatedrain capacitances of the switching MOSFET are eliminated, amd the scanning speed is increased.
A visible light and near infrared imaging device is disclosed. The imaging device comprises X-Y addressing means, an array of opto-electronic semiconductor elements or cells, a multiplexer, a precharge switch, and an amplifier. The X-Y addressing means selectively addresses each cell of the array of opto-electronic semiconductor cells and corresponding multiplexer switch for connecting a reference voltage to each cell to charge each element to the reference voltage, then to isolate each element and vary its voltage in proportion to the intensity of the impinging light, and finally to read out selectively the voltage of each element to the amplifier for amplifying the electrical signals representative of the light intensity to a working level for processing into video signals.
In a solid-state imaging device having photodiodes which are arrayed in the form of a matrix, horizontal output switches and vertical output switches are selectively closed in order to sequentially detect signals stored in the photodiodes, and a horizontal shift register and a vertical shift register supply switching pulses to the switches. A common potential line of both the shift registers is held at a predetermined D. C. potential with respect to ground potential, whereby the dynamic range of the photodiodes is expanded.
A document sensing device is herein disclosed whereby the signal-to-noise ratio inherent in a large-size image sensor is enhanced by a reduction in system noise. A plurality of photodetectors are connected to a plurality of storage MOSFETs. Two signal wires are connected to alternating groups of the MOSFETs. A shift register is provided which sequentially turns on the MOSFETs. The connections of the groups of MOSFETs and the sequential turn-on sequence are both preselected such that at the same time one group of MOSFETs is outputting a composite signal (information plus noise) on one signal wire, the immediately preceding group of MOSFETs is outputting a signal (noise only) on the other signal wire. Upon the combination of the signals in a differential amplifier, the noise signal is thus eliminated from the composite signal.
A solid state imaging device is disclosed in which photodiodes are arranged regularly in horizontal and vertical directions and generate signal charges in response to incident light, the signal charge thus obtained and smear charges stored on vertical signal lines are alternately and separately transferred to an output end by a horizontal charge transfer device, each of the smear charges is converted at the output end into a first voltage, the resultant charge of a signal charge following the above smear charge and another kind of smear charge is converted at the output end into a second voltage, a reset operation for the smear charge and resultant charge held at the output end is performed at an interval twice as long as the repetition period of a transfer pulse applied to the horizontal charge transfer device, and at least one of the first and second voltages is attenuated or amplified so that a difference between the first and second voltages thus processed provides an image signal in which any smear component is not present and reset noise is greatly reduced.
Herein disclosed is a method of reducing the vertical smears which are generated in a solid state image sensor including a plurality of vertical signal lines for transferring signal charges in a vertical direction and at least one charge transfer device for transferring the signal charges in a horizontal direction. The smear charges stored in the vertical signal lines and the signal charges generated in a photoelectric conversion element in response to an incident ray are inputted separately of each other for a horizontal blanking period to the charge transfer device for the horizontal transfer. During a tracing period, a smear voltage and a signal voltage are outputted separately of each other from said charge transfer device. The smear voltage adjusted is subtracted from the signal voltage to eliminate the smear component which has been mixed into the signal voltage.
