Patent ID: 7990454

Claim:
A phase adjustment device for adjusting a phase of a pulse used in an imaging element based on a digital imaging signal obtained when an analog imaging signal outputted from the imaging element is converted into a digital value for each pixel, comprising: a first luminance level detector for detecting a luminance level of the digital imaging signal obtained from the analog imaging signal outputted from a plurality of pixels in a first pixel region of the imaging element; a second luminance level detector for detecting a luminance level of the digital imaging signal obtained from the analog imaging signal outputted from a plurality of pixels in a second pixel region of the imaging element; a data comparator for comparing a result of the detection by the first luminance level detector and a result of the detection by the second luminance level detector; an adjustment judger for judging if the phase adjustment for the pulse is necessary based on a result of the comparison by the data comparator; and a timing adjuster for shifting the phase of the pulse in the second pixel region when the luminance levels are detected, wherein the timing adjuster adjusts the phase of the pulse when the judgment by the adjustment judger indicates that the phase adjustment is necessary, and the adjustment judger judges a direction in which the phase of the analog imaging signal is shifted and an amount of the phase shift based on a comparison result by the data comparator obtained in a state where the phase of the pulse is set to be optimal for the first pixel region in the first pixel region and the optimum phase of the pulse in the first pixel region is shifted chronologically forward in the second pixel region and a comparison result by the data comparator obtained in a state where the phase of the pulse is set to be optimal for the first pixel region in the first pixel region and the optimum phase of the pulse in the first pixel region is shifted chronologically backward in the second pixel region.