What is claimed is:
1. A photodetector comprising:
a photodetection element for outputting electric charge in an amount corresponding to incident light intensity;
an integration circuit having:
an amplifier,
an integration capacitance section arranged in parallel to said amplifier between an input terminal and an output terminal, and
capacitance value switching means for switching the capacitance value of said integration capacitance section into any one of first through K-th capacitance values, where K indicates an integer greater than or equal to 2,
wherein integration circuit inputs electric charge output from said photodetection element through said input terminal, so as to accumulate said electric charge into said integration capacitance section having the capacitance value switched into by said capacitance value switching means, so as to output through said output terminal a voltage corresponding to the amount of the accumulated electric charge; and an AD converter circuit having
reference voltage switching means for switching a reference voltage used in AD conversion, into any one of first through L-th reference voltages, where L indicates an integer greater than or equal to 2,
wherein said AD converter circuit which inputs the voltage output through said output terminal of said integration circuit, so as to AD-convert said voltage on the basis of the reference voltage switched and set to be by said reference voltage switching means, so as to output a digital value corresponding to said voltage.
2. A photodetector according to claim 1, wherein
when the k-th capacitance value among said first through K-th capacitance values is denoted by Cfk, the relational expression Cf1>Cf2> . . . >Cfk> . . . >CfK-1>CfK holds, while when the l-th reference voltage among said first through L-th reference voltages is denoted by Vref,1, the relational expression Vref,1>Vref,2> . . . >Vref,1> . . . . >Vref,L-1 >Vref,L holds, and wherein
said photodetector further comprises:
a storage section which is provided with first through K-th storage regions and storage region switching means for switching the region into any one of these regions, and which stores the digital value output from said AD converter circuit, into any storage region switched into and selected from said first through K-th storage regions by said storage region switching means; and
controlling means which controls said capacitance value switching means of said integration circuit, said reference voltage switching means of said AD converter circuit, and said storage region switching means of said storage section, so as to set the capacitance value of said integration capacitance section of said integration circuit to be the k-th capacitance value Cfk, set the reference voltage of said AD converter circuit to be the l-th reference voltage Vref,1, and store the digital value output from said AD converter circuit into the k-th storage region.
3. A photodetector according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said photodetection elements are provided and arranged in two dimensions of M rows by N columns, where M2 and N2, while said integration circuit and said AD converter circuit are arranged for each column of said photodetection elements arranged in two dimensions.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An attaching method of attaching a solid state pickup device including an imaging element having a light receiving surface to an electronic camera including a lens barrel, and a condenser lens supported in said lens barrel, said attaching method comprising steps of:
placing said solid state pickup device in a receiving recess formed in a rear portion of said lens barrel, said receiving recess having a size larger than said solid state pickup device; and
pressing said solid state pickup device in an optical axis direction of said condenser lens and a crosswise direction to said optical axis direction, for fitting and positioning a front face and part of an end face of said solid state pickup device into said receiving recess,
wherein said solid state pickup device further includes a box-shaped shield glass, said imaging element further having plural contact points, said shield glass has a plate portion and a receiving surface border portion, said plate portion is disposed over said light receiving surface, and said receiving surface border portion has substantially a quadrilateral shape, and attached to said imaging element to surround said light receiving surface.
2. The attaching method as defined in claim 1, wherein said imaging element is pushed by a biasing force in said crosswise direction, and pressed against an inside of said receiving recess.
3. The attaching method as defined in claim 2, wherein said imaging element has substantially a quadrilateral shape, and said crosswise direction comprises two directions defined along two adjacent side lines of said imaging element.
4. The attaching method as defined in claim 2, wherein said imaging element has substantially a quadrilateral shape, and said crosswise direction is defined along a diagonal line of said imaging element.
5. An attaching method of attaching a solid state pickup device including an imaging element having a light receiving surface to an electronic camera including a lens barrel, and a condenser lens supported in said lens barrel, said solid state pickup device having a wiring pattern disposed on an outside thereof, said attaching method comprising steps of:
placing said solid state pickup device in a receiving recess formed in a rear portion of said lens barrel, said receiving recess having a size larger than said solid state pickup device; and
pressing said solid state pickup device in an optical axis direction of said condenser lens and a crosswise direction to said optical axis direction, for tightly fitting a front face and part of an end face of said solid state pickup device into said receiving recess, to position said solid state pickup device on said lens barrel, wherein said front face and said part of the end face lacks said wiring pattern,
wherein said solid state pickup device further includes:
a shield glass layer attached to said imaging element to cover said light receiving surface; and
a reinforcing glass layer attached to said imaging element on a side opposite to said light receiving surface.
6. The attaching method as defined in claim 5, wherein said solid state pickup device has substantially a quadrilateral shape, and includes a first end face for being fitted in said receiving recess, a second end face disposed opposite to said first end face, first and second lateral faces directed opposite to each other, and a rear face directed opposite to said front face;
said wiring pattern extends from at least one of said first and second lateral faces toward said rear face.
7. The attaching method as defined in claim 6, wherein said solid state pickup device is pressed in said crosswise direction by a clamper or pressure pad.
8. The attaching method as defined in claim 7, wherein said clamper includes first and second clamp jaws, biased toward each other, for clamping said solid state pickup device therebetween, to position said solid state pickup device in said optical axis direction.
9. The attaching method as defined in claim 8, wherein said clamper clamps said second end face, or clamps a corner between said second end face and said second lateral face, and presses said first end face against said receiving recess, or presses a corner between said first end face and said first lateral face against said receiving recess.
10. The attaching method as defined in claim 7, wherein said pressure pad has an inclined face directed toward a front with an inclination;
said second end face is directed toward a rear with an inclination, pressed by said inclined face, to position said solid state pickup device in said optical axis direction.