Patent ID: 9219872
Filing Date: 2015-12-22
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a plurality of incident ray conversion units each configured to convert incident rays into charge; a plurality of analog-to-digital conversion units each provided with a comparator and configured to convert a signal output from the incident ray conversion units into a digital signal; a plurality of counters each configured to output a count signal obtained by counting clock signals; and a reference signal output unit configured to output a reference signal to each of the comparators of the plurality of analog-to-digital conversion units, wherein a part of the analog-to-digital conversion units among the plurality of analog-to-digital conversion units generate the digital signal based on a result of a comparison conducted by the comparator between the signal output by the incident ray conversion unit and the reference signal and the count signal output by a part of the counters among the plurality of counters, wherein the other part of the analog-to-digital conversion units among the plurality of analog-to-digital conversion units generate the digital signal based on a result of a comparison conducted by the comparator between the signal output by the incident ray conversion unit and the reference signal and the count signal output by the other part of the counters among the plurality of counters, and wherein the other part of the counters start, with a delay, counting the clock signals as compared with the part of the counters by a time period corresponding to a delay of the reference signal output to the comparators of the other part of the analog-to-digital conversion units with respect to the reference signal output to the comparators of the part of the analog-to-digital conversion units.