Solid state image sensor array having photochromic layer surrounded by passive layer for multiple photoelectric conversion elements in the array
US5581300A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 27, 1994 |
| Grant date | Dec 3, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 27, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S348/902
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A solid state image sensor is provided having a vertical charge transfer unit, a horizontal charge transfer unit, a photoelectric conversion unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix manner, each photoelectric conversion element having a photodiode and switching MOS transistors to output a signal accumulated in the photodiode, and a charge accumulation controller for controlling a charge accumulated by each photodiode in logarithmical proportion to the quantity of light incident on each corresponding photoelectric conversion element corresponding to one pixel. The charge accumulation controller includes a photochromic color filter layer made of a photochromic material. Alternatively, the charge accumulation controller includes a photochromic layer which is formed over an existing color filter layer at a light receiving window area. With this construction, the quantity of light incident on a surface to be image-scanned is not controlled based on the average illumination of an image, but based on the unit of the photoelectric conversion element corresponding to one pixel. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent degradation in image quality at…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.