JPS6282782A - Remote drive type solid-state image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform a correct signal processing by providing a head part consisting of an optical system and a solid-state image pickup element, a synchronizing and drive signal generating circuit, a control part consisting of a signal processing circuit and a multi-conductor cable. CONSTITUTION:Signals T2, T3 are respectively inputted to a sample holding circuit 36 through buffer circuits 41, 42 of a camera control part 34. A waveform of the signal T3 is shaped according to a certain reference level and the picture signal T2 is processed based on the waveform shaped signal T3. Namely, the signal T3 is used for reading the picture signal T2 and guided to the camera control part 34 through the same type of a transmission system as the picture signal T2, so that a phase thereof coincides with that of the picture signal T2, and a synchronizing signal processing can be performed without requiring a phase correction. After the detection of an effective signal of the picture signal T2 and the removal of noise are carried out, the signal T3 is converted to a standard television signal by a process circuit 37 and outputted. Thereby, the correct signal processing can be performed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a remote drive type camera that separates a solid-state image sensor and a camera control unit that drives the solid-state image sensor and reads and processes image signals captured by the solid-state image sensor. This invention relates to a solid removal device.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PROBLEMS THEREOF] When a solid-state FIM element and a camera control section are separated and drive and signal processing is performed, a circuit configuration as shown in FIG. 2 is used, for example. That is, the remotely driven solid-state imaging @ device includes a head unit 13 consisting of an optical lens 11 and a solid-state imaging device 12, a synchronization and drive fg signal generation circuit 14 for driving the solid-state imaging device 12, a phase correction circuit 15,
The camera control section 18 includes a sample bold circuit 16 and a process circuit 17, and the head section 13 and camera control section 18 are connected via a multi-core cable 19.

The remotely driven solid-state imaging device constructed in this way is
A solid-state image carrier 12 having a two-dimensional pixel array is remotely driven and scanned using various drive signals, and time-series image signals are read out. That is, the readout transfer signal t1 is output from the synchronization and drive signal generation circuit 14 to the solid-state image sensor 12 via the buffer circuits 20 and 21, and the solid-state image sensor 12 receives this readout transfer signal t1 and outputs the readout transfer signal t1 to the solid-state image sensor 12. A signal charge proportional to the phototransmission irradiated by the system lens 11 is outputted to the sample hold circuit 16 via the buffer circuits 22 and 23 as an image signal t2. Here, the signal t1 from the synchronization and drive signal generation circuit 14 is phase-corrected via the phase correction circuit 15 and inputted as a signal t3 to the sample-hold circuit 1G, and the image signal t2 is outputted from this phase correction. The signal t3 is processed based on the signal t3. That is, portions of the image signal t2 corresponding to each image of the solid-state image sensor are separated and extracted by the sample-hold circuit 16 and subjected to signal processing.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the above signal processing, and (a
) is a waveform diagram of the readout transfer signal t1 output from the drive and synchronization signal generation circuit 14, (b) is a waveform diagram of the image signal t2 output from the solid-state image sensor 12, (
C) The figure shows the above read transfer signal 1. is the phase correction circuit 15
Figure (d) is a waveform diagram of the signal t3 whose φ phase has been corrected by the above-mentioned signal t3. In other words, (a) the image signal output by the readout transfer signal t1 shown in the figure is 2.
As shown in the diagram (b), the signal is outputted with a delay of a phase difference φ and noise relative to the readout transfer signal t1. This is caused by the input/output characteristics of the solid-state w4@ element 12, the length of the multi-core cable 19, etc. Therefore, in order to remove noise from the image signal t2 and perform effective signal processing, the above-mentioned The readout transfer signal t1 from the synchronization and drive signal generation circuit 14 is converted into a signal t3 delayed by the phase difference φ via the phase correction circuit 15.
The signal is input to the sample hold circuit 16. In the sample and hold circuit 16, the input signal t3 is waveform-shaped by comparing it with a certain reference level VREF, and the input signal from the solid-state image sensor, that is, the image signal @t2, is the effective part of this waveform-shaped signal. Extraction is performed and (d
) is output to the process circuit 17 as a signal t4 as shown in the figure. The input signal t4 is converted into a standard television system signal by the process circuit 11,
Output.

In the remote-driven solid-state imaging device configured as described above, the readout transfer signal t! Since a phase difference occurs between the image signal t2 and the image signal t2, a phase correction circuit 15 must be provided in order to perform accurate signal processing, which requires an increase in the number of circuits and the effort of adjustment. Moreover, due to changes in the environment on the head section 13 side or the camera control section 18 side, or changes in the length of the multi-core cable 19, further individual adjustments are required.

[Objective of the Invention] The present invention has been developed to address the above-mentioned points, and is capable of performing accurate signal processing without being affected by external influences that occur when a solid-state image element is remotely driven. It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote-driven expansion body imaging device.

[Summary of the Invention] That is, the remotely driven expansion force imaging device according to the present invention includes a head portion comprising an optical system and a solid-state image sensor, a synchronization and drive signal generation circuit for driving the solid-state image sensor, and an lfi The control section is equipped with a control section consisting of a signal processing circuit that processes the imaged image signal, and a multi-core cable that remotely connects the head section and the control circuit, and the reference signal from the synchronization and drive signal generation circuit is provided. The image sensor output signal is sent back to the signal processing circuit together with the image sensor output signal, and the image sensor output signal is processed based on the sent back reference signal.

[Implementation of the Invention@] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of a remotely driven swelling body dancing device according to the present invention. The head unit 30 that captures the subject includes an optical lens 31 and a solid-state camera control system that converts the subject image formed by the optical lens 31 into an electrical signal, and accumulates the signal as electric charge. The information is sent to department 34. The camera control unit 34 includes a synchronization and drive signal generation circuit 35 for driving the solid-state m-image element 32, a sample-hold circuit 36 for processing the output signal from the solid-state image sensor 32, and a sample-hold circuit 36 for processing the output signal from the solid-state image sensor 32. It is composed of a process circuit 31 for converting a weaker signal into a standard television signal.

The remote-driven expansion LFI image device configured in this manner reads and transfers the solid-state image sensor 32 having a two-dimensional pixel array from the synchronization and drive signal generation circuit 34 in the camera control unit 34. 1 for remote drive scanning. That is, the readout transfer signal T1 output from the synchronization and drive signal generation circuit 35 includes various synchronization signals for establishing synchronization between transmissions and a drive signal for driving the solid-state image device 32, and The transfer signal Ti is output to the head unit 30 via the buffer circuit 38. Is the read transfer signal Tl the buffer of the head section 30? The signal is input to the solid-state image sensor 32 via the circuit 39 . The solid-state image sensor 32 receives the readout transfer signal Tl, and generates a signal charge proportional to the amount of light emitted from the optical system lens 31 as an image signal T2.
Output to the rose circuit 40. The buffer circuit 40 transfers the output from the solid-state image sensor 32 to a buffer circuit 41.
The signal is output to the sample hold circuit 36 via.

Here, among the plurality of signals of the above-mentioned readout and transmission @Ts, the final image signal T
The signal T3 used to read out 2 is the image signal @T
2 and is configured to be sent back to the camera control unit 34. That is, the above signals @T2 and T3 are sent to the buffer circuits 41 and 4 of the camera control section 34, respectively.
2 to the sample hold circuit 36, where the signal T3 is waveform-shaped according to a certain reference level, and the image signal T2 is converted into the waveform-shaped signal T3.
Processed based on That is, the signal T3 is a signal used to read out the image signal @T2, and is transmitted through the same type of transmission system as the image signal T2 to the camera control unit 3.
4, it matches the phase of the image signal @T2, and synchronization signal processing can be performed without the need for phase correction. In this way, after the valid signal of the image signal @T2 is detected and the noise is removed, the process circuit 37 outputs a single signal as a standard television signal. C-Lee to 1T exchange eyebrow-Ri〈Ere; 2nd =
i=Sa'sign, -The buffer circuits 41 and 42 on the camera control section 34 side and the buffer circuit 3 on the head section 30 side
The characteristics of 9 and 40 are designed to have the same characteristics, and the occurrence of non-sphericity here is avoided.

In addition, in response to environmental changes on the head section 30 side, if the characteristics of the solid-state '11m element 32 change significantly, for example, the signal T1 is extracted from the part sent to the solid-state @@ element 32, and the same signal as the image signal T2 is generated. So solid lIi! It may also be influenced by the characteristics of the element 32. Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the image signal T2 is processed by the sample and hold circuit 36, but the solid-state 1fil! integrated with the color filter! In a single-chip color solid-state image sensor using one element, a circuit that extracts multiple color signals by synchronous detection may be used, and the present invention can also be used in such a circuit. .

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the reference signal for driving the solid-state V73 image element is sent back to the control unit together with the solid-state dark image element output signal, and the imaging is performed based on the sent back reference signal. By processing the element output signal,
With a simple and small-scale circuit configuration, it is possible to perform accurate signal embedding without being affected by external influences that occur when a solid-state imaging device is remotely driven.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a remote-driven expanded solid-state imaging device illustrating an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a conventional remotely-driven solid-state imaging device, and FIG. 3 (・-a-→ ) [d-)- is the signal of the above-mentioned conventional remote-driven dilatation imaging device! I! FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram for explaining the principle. 31... Optical system lens, 32... Solid-state image element, 3
3... Multi-core cable, 35... Synchronization and drive signal generation circuit, 36... Sample hold circuit, 37...
process circuit. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 2

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In a remote-driven solid-state imaging device in which a solid-state imaging device and a camera control unit that drives the solid-state imaging device to read and process image signals captured by the device are remotely separated, a control circuit is provided on the side where the solid-state imaging device is arranged. means for transmitting a reference signal from the image sensor; means for transmitting the reference signal together with the image output signal of the image sensor through the same transmission system; and means for processing the image output signal of the image sensor based on the returned reference signal. This is a remotely driven solid-state imaging device. (2) The means for processing the image sensor output signal includes a circuit that samples and holds the image output signal of the image sensor using the sent back reference signal. Remotely driven solid-state imaging device. (3) The remotely driven solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the reference signal is a pulse signal for driving a solid-state imaging device.