Patent ID: 8139116
Filing Date: 2012-03-20
Classification: H01L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A range image system comprising: an infrared emitting device for emitting infrared pulsed light to a scene; an imaging device in which first light receive elements for receiving visible light and second light receive elements for receiving infrared light are two-dimensionally disposed, said imaging device photoelectrically converting the visible light and the infrared light of said scene received by said first and second light receive elements to output a first pixel signal, which corresponds to a charge amount of a signal charge accumulated in said first light receive element, and a second pixel signal, which corresponds to a charge amount of a signal charge accumulated in said second light receive element, in time series; an imaging controller for activating said imaging device to periodically output the first and second pixel signals of one frame every one-frame scanning period, said imaging controller delaying a light-receiving period of said second light receive element from the emission of said pulsed light of said infrared emitting device by a predetermined time so as to receive the pulsed light reflected from a predetermined distance position; an emission controller for controlling emission timing of said infrared emitting device to perform emission of said pulsed light every other one-frame scanning period; a first frame memory for storing the first and second pixel signals of one frame obtained by imaging of emission time of said pulsed light; a second frame memory for storing the first and second pixel signals of one frame obtained by imaging of non-emission time of said pulsed light; and a signal processor for producing a first visible-light image based on said first pixel signal stored in said first frame memory, and for producing a second visible-light image based on said first pixel signal stored in said second frame memory, said signal processor producing a range image by subtracting said second pixel signal stored in said second frame memory from said second pixel signal stored in said first frame memory, wherein said imaging device is a solid-state imaging device including a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, in a surface layer of which a well layer of a second conductivity type is formed, said imaging device further including: a vertical overflow drain for sweeping the signal charges of said first and second light receive elements to said semiconductor substrate; a lateral overflow drain for sweeping the signal charge of said second light receive element to a drain region of the first conductivity type, which is formed in said well layer, via an elimination gate; readout gates for reading the signal charges from said first and second light receive elements; a vertical transfer portion for vertically transferring the signal charge read by said readout gate; a horizontal transfer portion for receiving the respective signal charges from said vertical transfer portion to horizontally transfer the received signal charges; and a signal output portion for outputting the pixel signal after converting the signal charge, which is horizontally transferred by said horizontal transfer portion, into the pixel signal in accordance with the charge amount of the signal charge, wherein said imaging controller individually sets light-receiving periods of said visible light and said infrared light so as to make these periods different from each other by activating said imaging device in an order of sweeping the signal charges from said first and second light receive elements through said vertical overflow drain, sweeping the signal charge from said second light receive element through said lateral overflow drain, and reading the signal charges from said first and second light receive elements through said readout gates.