US 12,425,752 B2
Image sensor
Ryoji Ando, Sagamihara (JP); and Yoshiyuki Watanabe, Kawasaki (JP)
Assigned to NIKON CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by NIKON CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Nov. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/387,150.
Application 18/387,150 is a continuation of application No. 17/969,344, filed on Oct. 19, 2022, abandoned.
Application 17/969,344 is a continuation of application No. 16/648,153, granted, now 11,523,082, issued on Dec. 6, 2022, previously published as PCT/JP2018/036010, filed on Sep. 27, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 2017-192167 (JP), filed on Sep. 29, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2024/0114259 A1, Apr. 4, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 25/59 (2023.01); H04N 25/77 (2023.01); H04N 25/771 (2023.01); H10F 39/00 (2025.01); H10F 39/18 (2025.01)
CPC H04N 25/59 (2023.01) [H04N 25/77 (2023.01); H04N 25/771 (2023.01); H10F 39/18 (2025.01); H10F 39/8037 (2025.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image sensor comprising:
a photoelectric converter that photoelectrically converts light to generate an electric charge;
a first readout circuit that reads out a signal based on the charge converted by the photoelectric converter;
a second readout circuit that reads out the signal and includes a holder that holds the charge generated by the photoelectric converter; and
a controller that performs either a first control for reading out the signal using the first readout circuit or a second control for reading out the signal using the second readout circuit, wherein
when the controller performs the second control to read out the signal, the controller performs control so that the charge is caused to be discharged from the photoelectric converter using the first readout circuit.