Photoelectric conversion device and method of driving photoelectric conversion device
地域：
Tokyo
摘要
A photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel region where pixels are arranged to form rows and columns, and a pixel control circuit that supplies control signals to the pixels. The pixel region includes first to fourth regions, a first pixel in the first region and a second pixel in the second region are arranged on different columns on a first row, a third pixel in the third region and a fourth pixel in the fourth region are arranged on different rows on a first column, and the first row on which the first and second pixels are arranged is arranged between rows on which the third and fourth pixels are arranged. The pixel control circuit simultaneously reads out pixel signals of the first and second pixels in a first period and simultaneously reads out pixel signals of the third and fourth pixels in a second period.
說明書
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The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion device and a method of driving the photoelectric conversion device.
A photoelectric conversion device in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are two-dimensionally arranged is widely used as an imaging element of a digital camera or a sensing element for ranging, machine vision, or image recognition. To achieve high functionality, various readout methods are applied to photoelectric conversion devices. As one example, it has been proposed to utilize image data obtained from a pair of photoelectric conversion elements. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-258682 discloses a solid-state imaging device that performs phase difference detection type autofocusing by using a correlation operation result of image data obtained from a pair of photoelectric conversion element groups provided in an area sensor.
When power supply voltage fluctuations or the like occur during a readout operation of image data from an area sensor, random stripe pattern noise may be superimposed on the image data. When image data obtained from a pair of photoelectric conversion element groups is utilized, accuracy of signal processing may be reduced when different amounts of noise are superimposed on respective data.
權利要求
What is claimed is:1. A photoelectric conversion device comprising:a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converter are arranged to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns; and a pixel control circuit that supplies control signals to the plurality of pixels, wherein the pixel region includes a first readout region, a second readout region, a third readout region, and a fourth readout region, wherein a first pixel in the first readout region and a second pixel in the second readout region are arranged on a first row and on different columns, wherein a third pixel in the third readout region and a fourth pixel in the fourth readout region are arranged on a first column and on different rows, wherein the first row on which the first pixel and the second pixel are arranged is arranged between a row on which the third pixel is arranged and a row on which the fourth pixel is arranged, and wherein the pixel control circuit performs an operation of simultaneously reading out a pixel signal of the first pixel and a pixel signal of the second pixel in a first period and performs an operation of simultaneously reading out a pixel signal of the third pixel and a pixel signal of the fourth pixel in a second period that is different from the first period. 2. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 further comprising:a plurality of first control lines each connected to the pixels on a corresponding row such that at least any one of the plurality of first control lines is arranged on each of the plurality of rows; a plurality of second control lines each connected to the pixels on a corresponding column such that at least any one of the plurality of second control lines is arranged on each of the plurality of columns; a plurality of first output lines each configured to output signals from the pixels on a corresponding column in accordance with the control signals supplied from the pixel control circuit via the first control lines, at least any one of the plurality of first output lines being arranged on each of the plurality of columns; and a plurality of second output lines each configured to output signals from the pixels on a corresponding row in accordance with the control signals supplied from the pixel control circuit via the second control lines, at least any one of the plurality of second output lines being arranged on each of the plurality of rows. 3. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 2 , wherein the pixel control circuit is configured to perform an operation of reading out a pixel signal of the first pixel and a pixel signal of the second pixel via the first output lines on corresponding columns, respectively, and reading out a pixel signal of the third pixel and a pixel signal of the fourth pixel via the second output lines on corresponding rows, respectively. 4. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 2 further comprising a readout circuit connected to the plurality of first output lines and the plurality of second output lines. 5. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 4 , wherein the readout circuit includes an analog-to-digital conversion unit. 6. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 4 , wherein the readout circuit includes a first readout circuit connected to the plurality of first output lines and a second readout circuit connected to the plurality of second output lines. 7. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of pixels includesan amplifier unit that amplifies a signal based on charge generated in the photoelectric converter, a first select transistor that outputs a signal amplified by the amplifier unit to corresponding one of the first output lines in accordance with one of the control signals supplied to corresponding one of the first control lines, and a second select transistor that outputs a signal amplified by the amplifier unit to corresponding one of the second output lines in accordance with one of the control signals supplied to corresponding one of the second control lines. 8. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 further comprising:a plurality of first control lines each connected to the pixels on a corresponding row such that at least any one of the plurality of first control lines is arranged on each of the plurality of rows; a plurality of second control lines each connected to the pixels on a corresponding row such that at least any one of the plurality of second control lines is arranged on each of the plurality of rows; a plurality of first output lines each configured to output signals from the pixels on a corresponding column in accordance with the control signals supplied from the pixel control circuit via the first control lines, at least any one of the plurality of first output lines being arranged on each of the plurality of columns; and a plurality of second output lines each configured to output signals from the pixels on a corresponding column in accordance with the control signals supplied from the pixel control circuit via the second control lines, at least any one of the plurality of second output lines being arranged on each of the plurality of columns. 9. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 8 , wherein the pixel control circuit is configured to perform an operation of reading out a pixel signal of the first pixel and a pixel signal of the second pixel via the first output lines on corresponding columns, respectively, reading out a pixel signal of the third pixel via corresponding one of the first output lines on a corresponding column, and reading out a pixel signal of the fourth pixel via corresponding one of the second output lines on a corresponding column. 10. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 ,wherein the first readout region and the second readout region form a first pair of focus detection regions used for detecting a parallax in a first direction, and wherein the third readout region and the fourth readout region form a second pair of focus detection regions used for detecting a parallax in a second direction intersecting the first direction. 11. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first readout region, the second readout region, the third readout region, and the fourth readout region is formed of a block comprising a plurality of pixels on consecutive rows and consecutive columns. 12. An imaging system comprising:the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 ; a solid-state imaging device that outputs an optical image of an object as an image signal; an operation unit that calculates a distance to the object based on an output signal of the photoelectric conversion device; and a control unit that, based on the distance calculated by the operation unit, outputs a control signal used for controlling an optical system so that the optical image of the object is focused on a capturing plane of the solid-state imaging device. 13. A movable object comprising:the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 ; a distance information acquisition device that acquires distance information on a distance to an object, from a parallax image based on signals from the photoelectric conversion device; and a control device that controls the movable object based on the distance information. 14. A photoelectric conversion device comprising:a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converter are arranged to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns; a plurality of first control lines each connected to the pixels on a corresponding row such that at least any one of the plurality of first control lines is arranged on each of the plurality of rows; a plurality of second control lines each connected to the pixels on a corresponding column such that at least any one of the plurality of second control lines is arranged on each of the plurality of columns; a pixel control circuit connected to the plurality of first control lines and the plurality of second control lines and configured to supply control signals used for controlling the pixels to the plurality of first control lines and the plurality of second control lines; a plurality of first output lines each arranged on each of the plurality of columns and configured to output signals from the pixels on a corresponding column in accordance with the control signals supplied from the pixel control circuit via the first control lines; and a plurality of second output lines each arranged on each of the plurality of rows and configured to output signals from the pixels on a corresponding row in accordance with the control signals supplied from the pixel control circuit via the second control lines, wherein the pixel region includes a first readout region, a second readout region, a third readout region, and a fourth readout region, wherein a first pixel in the first readout region and a second pixel in the second readout region are arranged on a first row and on different columns, wherein a third pixel in the third readout region and a fourth pixel in the fourth readout region are arranged on a first column and on different rows, and wherein the first row on which the first pixel and the second pixel are arranged is arranged between a row on which the third pixel is arranged and a row on which the fourth pixel is arranged. 15. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 14 , wherein the pixel control circuit performs an operation of simultaneously reading out a pixel signal of the first pixel, a pixel signal of the second pixel, a pixel signal of the third pixel, and a pixel signal of the fourth pixel. 16. A method of driving a photoelectric conversion device including a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converter are arranged to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein the pixel region includes a first readout region, a second readout region, a third readout region, and a fourth readout region, wherein a first pixel in the first readout region and a second pixel in the second readout region are arranged on a first row and on different columns, wherein a third pixel in the third readout region and a fourth pixel in the fourth readout region are arranged on a first column and on different rows, and wherein the first row on which the first pixel and the second pixel are arranged is arranged between a row on which the third pixel is arranged and a row on which the fourth pixel is arranged, the method comprising:simultaneously reading out a pixel signal of the first pixel and a pixel signal of the second pixel in a first period; and simultaneously reading out a pixel signal of the third pixel and a pixel signal of the fourth pixel in a second period that is different from the first period. 17. The method of driving the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 16 , wherein the photoelectric conversion device further including a plurality of first control lines each connected to the pixels on a corresponding row such that at least any one of the plurality of first control lines is arranged on each of the plurality of rows and a plurality of first output lines each arranged on each of the plurality of columns and configured to output signals from the pixels on a corresponding column, the method further comprising:driving the first pixel and the second pixel by a control signal supplied via corresponding one of the first control lines and simultaneously reading out a pixel signal of the first pixel and a pixel signal of the second pixel to the plurality of first output lines on corresponding columns. 18. The method of driving the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 17 , wherein the photoelectric conversion device further including a plurality of second control lines each connected to the pixels on a corresponding column such that at least any one of the plurality of second control lines is arranged on each of the plurality of columns and a plurality of second output lines each arranged on each of the plurality of rows and configured to output signals from the pixels on a corresponding row, the method further comprising:driving the third pixel and the fourth pixel by a control signal supplied via corresponding one of the second control lines and simultaneously reading out a pixel signal of the third pixel and a pixel signal of the fourth pixel to the plurality of second output lines on corresponding rows. 19. The method of driving the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 17 , wherein the photoelectric conversion device further including a plurality of second control lines each connected to the pixels on a corresponding row such that at least any one of the plurality of second control lines is arranged on each of the plurality of rows and a plurality of second output lines each arranged on each of the plurality of columns and configured to output signals from the pixels on a corresponding column, the method further comprising:driving the third pixel and the fourth pixel by control signals supplied via the plurality of second control lines on corresponding rows and simultaneously reading out a pixel signal of the third pixel to corresponding one of the plurality of first output lines on a corresponding column and a pixel signal of the fourth pixel to corresponding one of the plurality of second output lines on a corresponding column.
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