1. A method of cloning a master system, the method comprising:
enabling an image of the master system, that includes a non-writable file partition, to automatically self-create an overlay that receives writes directed to the file partition, where the non-writable file partition comprises an operating system.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the image comprises code to automatically create the overlay based on the absence of an overlay partition in the image.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the image is configured to perform the automatic self-creating when the image is booted.
4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the image comprises a flag that indicates that the overlay has not been created, and wherein the automatic self-creating occurs in response to recognition of the flag when the image is booted.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the operating system is an embedded operating system.
6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the embedded operating system is a Microsoft Windows embedded operating system.
7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the operating system comprises a file system module that makes the non-writable file partition available as a writable file system, and where the overlay and embedded write filter function together in the operating system as a layer between the file system module and one or more storage media that store the data of the non-writable file partition and the data of the overlay, whereby the combined data so stored is transparently made available through the file system module as the writable file system.
8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the image comprises a flag that indicates that the overlay has not been created, and wherein the automatic self-creating occurs in response to recognition of the flag when the image is booted.
9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the file system module implements a standard file system type, and wherein the overlay has a nonstandard file system type.
10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the overlay’s nonstandard file system type renders it unrecognizable by cloning tools that can recognize and clone the standard file system type.
11. A machine readable storage storing the image according to claim 1.
12. A method of cloning a master system configured with a non-writable volume or partition comprising an operating system, where the master system is configured to provide an overlay to store updates directed to the non-writable volume or partition, the method comprising:
configuring a flag in the master system with a setting, where the configured flag is for indicating that the overlay is needed and has not been provided;
after configuring the flag, creating a master image of the master system, where the master image includes the configured flag; and
creating a clone of the master system on a storage of another system based on the master image.
13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising automatically providing the clone of the master system with an overlay based on the setting of the flag in the clone of the master system, where the overlay provides file-system level write functionality to the non-writable volume or partition of the clone system.
14. The storage according to claim 13, the storage storing the clone of the master system that was automatically provided with the overlay.
15. The storage according to claim 12, the storage storing the clone of the master system.
16. A method, comprising:
building an operating system install comprising operating system files on a target drive, where the operating system install is configured to have an overlay providing write capability to a non-writable partition; then
performing a first boot of the target drive;
disabling the overlay; and
configuring the operating system install to have both a resealed or logical first-boot state and to indicate that the overlay is needed and has not been initialized.
17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising creating a condensed image of the operating system using an imaging tool, where the condensed image is capable of being installed on disk drives with different sizes or configurations.
18. A storage storing a condensed system image comprising an operating system, where the condensed system image is capable of being exploded to install the operating system on disk drives with different sizes or configurations, and where the operating system is enabled to self-create an overlay partition and write filter when booted.
19. An apparatus for cloning a master system configured with a non-writable volume or partition comprising an operating system, where the master system is configured to provide an overlay to store updates directed to the non-writable volume or partition, the apparatus comprising:
a flag in the master system configured with a setting, where the configured flag is for indicating that the overlay is needed and has not been provided;
a master image of the master system, created after the flag is configured, where the master image includes the configured flag; and
a clone of the master system created on a storage of another system based on the master image.
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. A readout circuit comprising:
an amplifier;
an input capacitor configured to input a signal by capacitive coupling to an input terminal of the amplifier;
an initializing switch configured to short circuit between the input terminal and an output terminal of the amplifier;
a feedback capacitor arranged between the input terminal and the output terminal of the amplifier; and
an offset controller configured to set an output offset voltage of the amplifier, wherein
the readout circuit operates in first and second modes,
in the first mode, a first voltage is input to the amplifier through the input capacitor, and thereafter a second voltage lower than the first voltage is input to the amplifier through the input capacitor,
in the second mode, a third voltage is input to the amplifier through the input capacitor, and thereafter a fourth voltage higher than the third voltage is input to the amplifier through the input capacitor, and
in at least one of the first mode and the second mode, after the initializing switch is turned on, the offset controller applies the output offset voltage to the output terminal of the amplifier, whereby the output offset voltage of the amplifier is set to different values between the first and second modes.
2. The readout circuit according to claim 1, wherein
the input capacitor, the initializing switch and the feedback capacitor constitute a clamping unit configured to clamp the first voltage in the first mode, and to clamp the third voltage in the second mode.
3. The readout circuit according to claim 1, wherein
the amplifier is a differential amplifier or a common source type amplifier.
4. The readout circuit according to claim 1, wherein
in the first mode, after the initializing switch is turned on, the first voltage is input to the input capacitor to clamp the first voltage, and
in the second mode, after the initializing switch is turned on, the third voltage is input to the input capacitor to clamp the third voltage.
5. The readout circuit according to claim 1, wherein
the offset controller controls so that a transition period of a control signal for switching from on to off of the initializing switch in the first mode is different from a transition period of the control signal for switching from on to off of the initializing switch in the second mode, whereby the output offset voltage of the amplifier is set to the different values between the first and second modes.
6. The readout circuit according to claim 1, wherein
the amplifier is a differential amplifier, and
a reference voltage input to the differential amplifier in the first mode is different from a reference voltage input to the differential amplifier in the second mode.
7. The readout circuit according to claim 1, wherein
a plurality of the initializing switches are provided, and
the offset controller controls so that a number of the initializing switches turned on in the first mode is different from a number of the initializing switches turned on in the second mode, whereby the output offset voltage of the amplifier is set to the different values between the first and second modes.
8. The readout circuit according to claim 1, wherein
the offset controller applies different offset voltages to a node on an electrical path between the feedback capacitor and the output terminal of the amplifier in an on state of the initializing switch in the first mode and in an on state of the initializing switch in the second mode, whereby the output offset voltage of the amplifier is set to the different values between the first and second modes.
9. The readout circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a second capacitor including a first terminal connected to the input terminal of the amplifier and a second terminal connected to the offset controller, wherein
the offset controller applies different voltages to the second terminal of the second capacitor between the first and second modes, whereby the output offset voltage of the amplifier is set to different values between the first and second modes.
10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 9, wherein
in the first mode, a photo signal from the pixel is input to the first input terminal as the first voltage, and a pixel reset signal from the pixel is input to the first input terminal as the second voltage, and
in the second mode, a pixel reset signal from the pixel is input to the first input terminal as the third voltage, and a photo signal from the pixel is input to the first input terminal as the fourth voltage.
11. A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising:
a readout circuit including:
an amplifier;
an input capacitor configured to input a signal by capacitive coupling to an input terminal of the amplifier;
an initializing switch configured to short circuit between the input terminal and an output terminal of the amplifier;
a feedback capacitor arranged between the input terminal and the output terminal of the amplifier; and
an offset controller configured to set an output offset voltage of the amplifier, wherein
the readout circuit operates in first and second modes,
in the first mode, a first voltage is input to the amplifier through the input capacitor, and thereafter a second voltage lower than the first voltage is input to the amplifier through the input capacitor,
in the second mode, a third voltage is input to the amplifier through the input capacitor, and thereafter a fourth voltage higher than the third voltage is input to the amplifier through the input capacitor, and
in at least one of the first mode and the second mode, after the initializing switch is turned on, the offset controller applies the output offset voltage to the output terminal of the amplifier, whereby the output offset voltage of the amplifier is set to different values between the first and second modes; and
a pixel configured to generate a signal by a photoelectric conversion, wherein
the signal generated by the pixel is input to the readout circuit.
12. The solid-state imaging apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:
an output amplifier configured
to output, in the first mode, a difference between an output voltage from the amplifier at a time of inputting the first voltage and an output voltage from the amplifier at a time of inputting the second voltage, and
to output, in the second mode, a difference between an output voltage from the amplifier at a time of inputting the third voltage and an output voltage from the amplifier at a time of inputting the fourth voltage.
13. A method of driving a readout circuit comprising an amplifier, an input capacitor configured to input a signal by capacitive coupling to an input terminal of the amplifier, an initializing switch configured to short circuit between the input terminal and an output terminal of the amplifier, a feedback capacitor arranged between the input terminal and the output terminal of the amplifier, and an offset controller configured to set an output offset voltage of the amplifier; wherein the method comprises:
operating the readout circuit in first and second modes;
in the first mode, inputting, to the amplifier through the input capacitor, a first voltage, and thereafter inputting a second voltage lower than the first voltage through the input capacitor;
in the second mode, inputting, to the amplifier through the input capacitor, a third voltage, and thereafter inputting a fourth voltage higher than the third voltage through the input capacitor, and
in at least one of the first mode and the second mode, after turning on the initializing switch, applying the output offset voltage to the output terminal of the amplifier by the offset controller, whereby the output offset voltage of the amplifier is set to different values between the first and second modes.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein
the input capacitor, the initializing switch and the feedback capacitor constitute a clamping unit configured to clamp the first voltage in the first mode, and to clamp the third voltage in the second mode.
15. A solid-state imaging device comprising:
an amplifier including a first input terminal to which a signal from a pixel is input and a second input terminal to which a reference voltage is input;
an input capacitor configured to input the signal by capacitive coupling to the first input terminal of the amplifier;
an initializing switch configured to short circuit between the first input terminal and an output terminal of the amplifier;
a feedback capacitor arranged between the first input terminal and the output terminal of the amplifier; and
a switching unit configured to switch the reference voltage input to the second input terminal of the amplifier, wherein
the solid-state imagine device operates in first and second modes, and wherein
in the first mode a first voltage is input to the first input terminal through the input capacitor, and thereafter a second voltage lower than the first voltage is input to the first input terminal through the input capacitor;
in the second mode a third voltage is input to the first input terminal through the input capacitor, and thereafter a fourth voltage higher than the third voltage is input to the first input terminal through the input capacitor,
the switching unit switches the reference voltage input to the second input terminal between the first mode and the second mode, and
in at least one of the first mode and the second mode, after the initializing switch is turned on, the output offset voltage is applied to the output terminal of the amplifier, whereby the output offset voltage of the amplifier is set to different values between the first and second modes.