Solid state image sensor with high resolution

Claim 3

The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said displacement generating means includes means (12, 100, 102, 126, 128, 140, 142), connected to said image sensing device (10, 50), for vibrating or swinging said image sensing device (10, 50) in a preselected swing mode in a plane substantially orthogonal to the direction of said incident radiation (16).

Claim 4

The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said displacement generating means includes means (180) for swinging said incident radiation (181) at predetermined time periods relative to said image sensing device (190).

Claim 5

The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said transfer section includes transfer stages with the same number as that of cells (Pij, Pij') contained in said linear cell array (Pi, ... , P M ).

Claim 6

A solid state image sensor for sensing a light image compatible with a preselected television system in which one frame includes a plurality of fields, said image sensor comprising a solid state image sensing device (10, 50, 181) having a substrate (51) with a surface, a photosensing region (32) formed on the surface of said substrate (51), for receiving an incident light image (16, 181) to generate and store therein signal charges corresponding to the light image (16, 181), said photosensing region including a matrix array of photocells (Pij, Pij') of 2N x M (N and M: positive integers) having cell columns (Pi, ... , P M ) of M which are arrayed in parallel with one another and each of which has photocells of 2N linearly arrayed, charge transfer sections (C1, ... , C M ) of M which are disposed adjacent to and extend along said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ) of M and which read out and transfer the signal charges stored in said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ) with radiation (16) of said light image, and a shift register (S) which is connected to said charge transfer sections (Cl, ... , C M ) and which sequentially transfers the signal charges coming from said charge transfer sections (C l , ... , C M ), characterized by further comprising deflection means (12, 100, 102, 126, 128, 140, 142) mechanically coupled to said substrate (51) of said image sensing device (10, 50), for swinging said substrate (51) in a preselected swing mode in a plane substantially orthogonal to the incident direction of light image (16) and for allowing each of said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ) to sense the light image (16) at different positions during different field periods in one frame period (t F ) of said television system.

Claim 7

A solid state image sensor for sensing a light image compatible with a preselected television system in which one frame includes a plurality of fields, said image sensor comprising a solid state image sensing device (10, 50, 181) having a substrate (51) with a surface, a photosensing region (32) formed on the surface of said substrate (51), for receiving an incident light image (16, 181) to generate and store therein signal charges corresponding to the light image (16, 181), said photosensing region including a matrix array of photocells (Pij, Pij') of 2N x M (N and M: positive integers) having cell columns (Pi, ... , P M ) of M which are arrayed in parallel with one another and each of which has photocells of 2N linearly arrayed, charge transfer sections (C1, ... , C M ) of M which are disposed adjacent to and extend along said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ) of M and which read out and transfer the signal charges stored in said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ) with radiation (16) of said light image, and a shift register (S) which is connected to said charge transfer sections (Cl, ... , C M ) and which sequentially transfers the signal charges coming from said charge transfer sections (C l , ... , C M ), characterized by further comprising deflection means (12, 100, 102, 126, 128, 140, 142) mechanically coupled to said substrate (51) of said image sensing device (10, 50), for swinging said substrate (51) in a preselected swing mode in a plane substantially orthogonal to the incident direction of light image (16) and for allowing each of said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ) to sense the light image (16) at different positions during different field periods in one frame period (t F ) of said television system.

Claim 8

The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, when said television system is NTSC system in which one frame (t F ) is composed of first and second fields (ta, t b ), said deflection means (12, 100, 102, 126, 128, 140, 142) reciprocately moves said substrate (51) of said image sensing device (10, 50) in said plane so as to make each of said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ) rest at a first image sensing position during a first field image sensing period (t a ), and to make each of said cell columns rest at a second field image sensing position during a second field image sensing period (t b ).

Claim 9

The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said image sensing device (10, 50) further comprises field shift gate means (34) formed on said substrate surface and extending among said M cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ) and said M charge transfer sections (Cl, ... , C M ), and having M field shift gate sections electrically connected to one another, and for simultaneously transferring to said charge transfer sections (C 1 .... , C M ) signal charges stored in said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ) substantially in synchronism with a rapid movement of each of said cell columns (Pi, ... , P M ) between said first and second image sensing positions.

Claim 10

The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that each of said charge transfer sections (Cl, ... , C M ) has the same number of transfer elements, 2N, as that of said photocells (Pij, Pij') contained in each of said cell columns (Pi, ... , PM), whereby the signal charges stored in said photosensitive cells (Pij, Pij') of each of said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ) are transferred to said transfer elements by said field shift gate means (34), respectively.

Claim 11

The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, when said television system is NTSC system in which one frame (t F ) is composed of first and second fields (t a , t b ), said deflection means (12, 100, 102, 126, 128, 140, 142) swings said substrate (51) of said image sensing device (10, 50) in said plane so as to substantially always move between said first and second positions in a reciprocal manner, whereby said cell columns (Pi, ... , P M ) perform the image sensing operation during one frame period (t F ), while substantially moving.

Claim 12

The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that said image sensing device (10, 50) further comprises field shift gate sections (34) formed on said substrate surface and extending among said M cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ) and M charge transfer sections (C 1 , ... , C M ) and connected electrically to one another, said field shift gate sections simultaneously transferring the-signal charges which are stored in said cell columns (P l , ... , PM) substantially at the time that each of said cell columns ( p l , ... , P M ) reaches the substantially center position between said first and second positions.

Claim 13

ll. The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that each of said charge transfer sections (Cl, ... , C M ) has the same number of transfer elements, 2N, as that of said photocells (Pij, Pij') contained in each of said cell columns (Pi, ... , P M ), whereby the signal charges stored in said photosensitive cells (Pij, Pij l ) of each of said cell columns (P l , ... , P M ) are transferred to said transfer elements by said field shift gate means (34), respectively.

Claim 14

The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said cell columns (Pl, ... , P M ) are arranged equidistantly, and wherein said deflection means (12, 100, 102, 126, 128, 140, 142) swings said substrate (51) in said plane and in the direction substantially orthogonal to the extending direction of said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ), and in a manner that a distance between said first and second image sensing positions is preferably half of the interval of said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ).

Claim 15

The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ) are arranged equidistantly, and that said deflection means (12, 100, 102, 126, 128, 140, 142) swings said substrate (51) in said plaine, in the direction oblique to the extending direction of said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ), and so that a first distant component of the distance between said first and second image sensing positions, which is directed normal to said cell column extending direction, is preferably equal to the half of the interval between said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ), and a second distance component in the extending direction of said cell columns (Pl, ... , P M ) is preferably equal to the half of the pitch of said photocells (Pij, P ij ') of 2N contained in each of said cell columns (P 1 , ... , P M ).

Claim 16

The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said deflection means comprises at least one piezoelectric element (100, 10 2, 126, 128, 140, 142).

Claim 17

The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said drive means includes a rectangular piezoelectric plate (100, 102, 126, 128, 140, 142) made of piezoelectric material.

Claim 18

The soli.d state image sensor as claimed in claim 15, characterized by further comprising: a mother board (104) made of electrically conductive material and with a plurality of pins (106); supporting means (108, 124, 146, 148) for stably supporting said piezoelectric plate (100, 102, 126, 128, 140, 142) on said mother board (104) to allow said piezoelectric plate (100, 102, 126, 128, 140, 142) mechanically coupled with said image sensing device (50) to vibrate according to externally applied electrical signal; and flexible connecting means (110, 112, 130, 150) extending so that when said piezoelectric plate (100, 102, 126, 128, 140, 142) vibrates, it does not apply to the vibration a real load serving to attenuate the vibration, said connecting means electrically connecting said image sensing device (50) to said pins (106).

Claim 19

The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim, 16, characterized in that said connecting means includes a film connector (110, 112, 130, 150) with a main portion extending closest to said piezoelectric plate (100, 102 , 126, 128, 140, 142).

Claim 20

The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that said drive means includes a couple of rectangular piezoelectric plates (14C, 142), and said supporting means includes supporting plate (146, 148) for supporting said piezoelectric plates (140, 142) in substantially parallel with each other and substantially normal to said mother board (104), and for resiliently supporting said piezoelectric plates (140, 142) at both ends of said piezoelectric plates (140, 142 ) as viewed longitudinally, said piezoelectric plates (140, 142) vibrate in the same vibration mode and in the direction of the thickness of said piezoelectric plates (140, 142) per se.

Claim 21

The solid state image sensor as claimed in claim 18, chara cteri.zed in that said piezoelectric plates (140, 142) have respectively side edges to which said image sensing device (50) is fixed at the rear surface.

Claim 22

The solid state image sen,sor as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that a main portion of said film connector (110, 112, 130, 150) is sticked to said piezoelectric plate and vibrates in accordance with the vibration of said piezoelectric plates.