US 12,078,534 B2
Photoelectric conversion apparatus, imaging system, and moving object
Yasuharu Ota, Kawasaki (JP)
Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jul. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/865,218.
Application 17/865,218 is a continuation of application No. 16/752,107, filed on Jan. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,415,458.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-014727 (JP), filed on Jan. 30, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0357198 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. G01J 1/44 (2006.01); G01C 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01J 1/44 (2013.01) [G01C 11/00 (2013.01); G01J 2001/4466 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising:
a photodiode to which a first voltage and a second voltage are supplied, the photodiode being an avalanche-multiplication-type photodiode;
a counter configured to count a pulse generated at the photodiode, and hold a count value; and
a control circuit provided between the photodiode and the first voltage,
wherein a signal input into the control circuit has a first level and a second level,
wherein a period from resetting the count value of the counter to reading the count value of the counter includes a first period and a second period that is after the first period,
wherein the second period is a period after the count value reaches a threshold value,
wherein, in the first period, a ratio of a length of a period of the second level to a length of a period of the first level is a first value,
wherein, in the second period, a ratio of a length of a period of the second level to a length of a period of the first level is a second value,
wherein the second value is greater than the first value,
wherein the control circuit is a recharging circuit,
wherein a recharging operation is performed by the recharging circuit when a signal having the first level is input into the control circuit,
wherein the recharging operation by the recharging circuit is stopped when a signal having the second level is input into the control circuit, and
wherein the photoelectric conversion apparatus further comprising a correction unit configured to correct the count value on a basis of a length of a period of the second level when the count value output from the counter exceeds the threshold value.