Patent ID: 8432470

Claim:
A data conversion/output apparatus comprising: a large number of sensors; voltage-time conversion circuits which are arranged adjacent to said respective sensors and change output levels upon the lapse of times corresponding to output voltage values from said sensors after a conversion operation start point in order to convert voltage outputs of said sensors into times; and sensed data generation circuits for outputting, as digital data, lapse times until the output levels of said voltage-time conversion circuits change after a substantial conversion start point, said sensors are arranged in a matrix together with said corresponding voltage-time conversion circuits to constitute respective pixels, and said data conversion/output apparatus further comprises group selection means for selecting, from the pixels in a column direction, pixels which are aligned in a row direction and connected to one of said sensed data generation circuits, wherein said sensed data generation circuit includes a counter for counting a clock signal, a first latch circuit for latching a count value of said counter upon reception of an output from said voltage-time conversion circuit of each pixel in a selected group, and a second latch circuit for latching an output from said first latch circuit in accordance with a predetermined data reception signal.