Patent ID: 6798452
Filing Date: 2004-09-28
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An amplifying solid-state imaging device comprising:an imaging area in which a plurality of unit pixels are arranged, each said unit pixel including photoelectric transducing means for sensing externally incident light and transducing the sensed incident light into signal charges having a charge quantity corresponding to the incident light, and signal charge accumulating means for accumulating the signal charges transduced by the photoelectric transducing means; a signal reading section for sequentially selecting a unit pixel from the unit pixels one by one and reading out using an amplifying device the signal charges accumulated in the selected unit pixel as an electric signal; and a plurality of calibration sections formed between outputs of the imaging area and inputs of the signal reading section so as to correspond to the respective unit pixels in the imaging area, each said calibration section including: original signal storing means for storing an original electric signal obtained by converting the signal charges accumulated in one of the unit pixels associated with the calibration section; reference signal storing means for storing a reference electric signal, which is output from the associated unit pixel upon the application of a predetermined reference electric signal to the associated unit pixel; and division means for dividing the original electric signal stored in the original signal storing means by the reference electric signal stored in the reference signal storing means and outputting the division result as an electric signal to the signal reading section; wherein the original signal storing means includes: an original signal holding capacitor; and an original signal switch transistor having a drain connected to the outputs of the imaging area, a source connected to one electrode of the original signal holding capacitor, and a gate receiving an original-signal-calibrating signal, and wherein the reference signal storing means includes: a reference signal holding capacitor; and a reference signal switch transistor having a drain connected to the outputs of the imaging area, a source connected to one electrode of the reference signal holding capacitor, and a gate receiving a reference-signal-calibrating signal, and wherein the division means includes a divider having a dividend input terminal connected to a common connection between the original signal switch transistor and the original signal holding capacitor, a divisor input terminal connected to a common connection between the reference signal switch transistor and the reference signal holding capacitor, and an output terminal connected to the inputs of the signal reading section.