Imaging device

Abstract

In one example, an imaging device including a plurality of pixel circuits, a first control line, a second control line, a first voltage supply line, a second voltage supply line, a first light-receiving element, and a diagnosis unit is disclosed. The pixel circuits each include a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, an accumulation unit, a first transistor, a second transistor, and an output unit. The first transistor is couples the third terminal to the accumulation unit on the basis of a voltage of the first terminal. The second transistor supplies a predetermined voltage to the accumulation unit on the basis of a voltage of the second terminal. The output unit outputs a signal corresponding to a voltage in the accumulation unit.

1 . An imaging device comprising:
 a plurality of pixel circuits, at least two pixel circuits of the plurality of pixel circuits including
 a first terminal, 
 a second terminal, 
 a third terminal, 
 accumulation circuitry configured to accumulate an electric charge, 
 a first transistor configured to couple the third terminal to the accumulation circuitry based on a voltage of the first terminal, 
 a second transistor configured to supply a predetermined voltage to the accumulation circuitry based on a voltage of the second terminal, and 
 an output circuitry configured to output a signal corresponding to a voltage in the accumulation circuitry, the at least two pixel circuits including a first pixel circuit and a second pixel circuit; 
   a first control line extending in a first direction, the first control line coupled to the respective first terminals of the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit;   a second control line extending in the first direction, the second control line coupled to the respective second terminals of the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit;   a first voltage supply line coupled to the third terminal of the first pixel circuit; and   a second voltage supply line coupled to the third terminal of the second pixel circuit.   
     
     
         2 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to
 generate an address signal, 
 perform a first diagnosis process based on the address signal, a first signal, and a second signal, the first signal is output from the output circuitry of the first pixel circuit, the second signal is output from the output circuitry of the second pixel circuit, and 
 perform a second diagnosis process based on the first signal and the second signal; and 
   driving circuitry configured to drive the first control line and the second control line based on the address signal.   
     
     
         3 . The imaging device according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller further includes
 a conversion circuit configured to
 generate a first digital code by performing AD conversion based on the first signal, and 
 generate a second digital code by performing AD conversion based on the second signal, and 
   a diagnosis circuit configured to perform a third diagnosis process based on the address signal, the first digital code, and the second digital code.   
     
     
         4 . The imaging device according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a first light-receiving element coupled to the third terminal of a third pixel circuit,   wherein the first control line, the second control line, the first voltage supply line, the second voltage supply line, the plurality of pixel circuits, and the first light-receiving element are formed on a first semiconductor substrate, and   the controller and the driving circuitry are formed on a second semiconductor substrate, the second semiconductor substrate bonded to the first semiconductor substrate.   
     
     
         5 . The imaging device according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to apply a first voltage signal to the first voltage supply line, the first voltage signal having a first voltage and a second voltage. 
     
     
         6 . The imaging device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the first voltage includes the predetermined voltage, and   the first voltage signal has the first voltage in a first period in which the first transistor and the second transistor are both turned on, and has the second voltage in a second period outside the first period.   
     
     
         7 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of pixel circuits each belongs to any of a plurality of pixel lines,   the first pixel circuit, the second pixel circuit, and a third pixel circuit of the plurality of pixel circuits belong to a first pixel line of the plurality of pixel lines,   a predetermined number of pixel circuits the respective third terminals of which are coupled to the first voltage supply line or the second voltage supply line belong to the plurality of respective pixel lines, the predetermined number greater than or equal to two, and   a number of the plurality of pixel lines is less than or equal to a number that is expressible by a coupling combination of the respective third terminals with the first voltage supply line or the second voltage supply line in the predetermined number of pixel circuits.   
     
     
         8 . The imaging device according to  claim 7 , wherein first information includes second information, the first information indicated by the coupling combination of the respective third terminals with the first voltage supply line or the second voltage supply line in the predetermined number of pixel circuits, the predetermined number of pixel circuits belonging to the first pixel line, the second information configured to identify the first pixel line. 
     
     
         9 . The imaging device according to  claim 8 , wherein the first information further includes third information, the third information indicating an attribute of the first pixel line. 
     
     
         10 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third control line and a fourth control line each extending in the first direction; and   a signal line coupled to the output circuitry of the first pixel circuit, wherein   the plurality of pixel circuits includes a third pixel circuit and a fourth pixel circuit,   the first terminal of the fourth pixel circuit is coupled to the third control line,   the second terminal of the fourth pixel circuit is coupled to the fourth control line,   the output circuitry of the fourth pixel circuit is coupled to the signal line, and   the third terminal of the fourth pixel circuit is coupled to the second voltage supply line.   
     
     
         11 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second light-receiving element for which light is blocked, wherein   the plurality of pixel circuits includes a third pixel circuit, a fourth pixel circuit, and a fifth pixel circuit,   the first terminal of the fifth pixel circuit is coupled to the first control line,   the second terminal of the fifth pixel circuit is coupled to the second control line, and   the third terminal of the fifth pixel circuit is coupled to the second light-receiving element.   
     
     
         12 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a third voltage supply line, wherein
 the plurality of pixel circuits includes a third pixel circuit, a fourth pixel circuit, a fifth pixel circuit, and a sixth pixel circuit,   the first terminal of the sixth pixel circuit is coupled to the first control line,   the second terminal of the sixth pixel circuit is coupled to the second control line, and   the third terminal of the sixth pixel circuit is coupled to the third voltage supply line.   
     
     
         13 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , further comprising first driving circuitry configured to drive the first control line, wherein
 the first control line has a first end to which the first driving circuitry is coupled, and a second end,   the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit are disposed in a first region,   a third pixel circuit of the plurality of pixel circuits is disposed in a second region, and   the first region and the second region are disposed in this order in a direction from the second end to the first end.   
     
     
         14 . The imaging device according to  claim 13 , further comprising a second driving circuitry coupled to the second end of the first control line, the second driving circuitry configured to drive the first control line. 
     
     
         15 . The imaging device according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the plurality of pixel circuits further includes a fourth pixel circuit and an fifth pixel circuit,   the respective first terminals of the fourth pixel circuit and the fifth pixel circuit are coupled to the first control line,   the respective second terminals of the fourth pixel circuit and the fifth pixel circuit are coupled to the second control line,   the third terminal of the fourth pixel circuit is coupled to the first voltage supply line,   the third terminal of the fifth pixel circuit is coupled to the second voltage supply line,   the fourth pixel circuit and the fifth pixel circuit are disposed in a third region, and   the first region, the second region, and the third region are disposed in this order in the direction from the second end to the first end.   
     
     
         16 . An imaging device comprising:
 a first pixel circuit;   a first signal line coupled to the first pixel circuit;   a first conversion circuit configured to generate a first digital code by performing analog-to-digital (AD) conversion based on a signal in the first signal line;   a first selector including a first input terminal and a second input terminal, the first input terminal supplied with the first digital code, the second input terminal supplied with a first fixed digital code, the first selector configured to output a selected digital code by selecting between one of the first digital code or the first fixed digital code; and   a controller configured to perform a diagnosis process based on the selected digital code.   
     
     
         17 . The imaging device according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a second pixel circuit;   a second signal line coupled to the second pixel circuit;   a second conversion circuit configured to generate a second digital code by performing a second analog-to-digital (AD) conversion based on a signal in the second signal line; and   a second selector including a first input terminal and a second input terminal, the first input terminal supplied with the second digital code, the second input terminal supplied with a second fixed digital code, the second selector configured to output a second selected digital code by selecting between one of the second digital code or the second fixed digital code, wherein   the second fixed digital code is different from the first fixed digital code, and   the controller is further configured to perform the diagnosis process based on the selected digital code and the second selected digital code.   
     
     
         18 . The imaging device according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 transfer circuitry configured to
 transfer the selected digital code from the first selector to the controller, and 
 transfer the second selected digital code from the second selector to the controller. 
   
     
     
         19 . The imaging device according to  claim 16 , wherein the first fixed digital code includes information that identifies the first conversion circuit. 
     
     
         20 . An imaging device comprising:
 a first pixel circuit;   a first signal line coupled to the first pixel circuit;   a first conversion circuit configured to generate a first digital code by performing analog-to-digital (AD) conversion based on a signal in the first signal line;   readout circuitry configured to output a control signal;   a first selector including a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and a third input terminal, the first input terminal supplied with the first digital code, the second input terminal supplied with a first fixed digital code, the third input terminal supplied with the control signal, the first selector configured to output a selected digital code by selecting between one of the first digital code or the first fixed digital code based on the control signal; and   a controller configured to perform a diagnosis process based on the selected digital code.