Image sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10003760-B2
Application number	US-201615373964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 19, 2014
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

An image sensor comprising a plurality of imaging pixels and a plurality of focus detecting pixels in which opening positions of light receiving parts are shifted from those of the imaging pixels, wherein first focus detecting pixels in which the opening positions are shifted in a first direction are arranged in a first pixel pitch at positions corresponding to first color filters for the imaging pixels, and second focus detecting pixels in which openings are shifted in a second direction different from the first direction are arranged in a second pixel pitch at positions corresponding to second color filters for the imaging pixels different from the first color filters.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image sensor comprising a plurality of imaging pixels and a plurality of focus detecting pixels in which opening positions of light receiving parts are shifted from those of the imaging pixels, wherein
focus detecting pixels in a first focus detecting pixel group including a plurality of focus detecting pixels whose opening positions are shifted in a first direction and are different from each other, are arranged in a first pixel pitch at positions corresponding to first color filters for the imaging pixels in the first direction for each of the focus detecting pixels whose opening positions are different from each other, and
focus detecting pixels in a second focus detecting pixel group including a plurality of focus detecting pixels whose opening positions are shifted in a second direction different from the first direction and are different from each other, the focus detecting pixels, are arranged in a second pixel pitch at positions corresponding to second color filters different from the first color filters for the imaging pixels in the second direction for each of the focus detecting pixels whose opening positions are different from each other.

2. The image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the focus detecting pixels, in the first focus detecting pixel group, whose opening positions are different from each other are alternately arranged in the first pixel pitch in the second direction, and the focus detecting pixels, in the second focus detecting pixel group, whose opening positions are different from each other are alternately arranged in the second pixel pitch in the first direction.

3. The image sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pixel mixing readout section to mix, read out, and output pixel signals, wherein,
when outputs of the imaging pixels corresponding to the second color filters are mixed and read out, readout is performed without mixing outputs of the focus detecting pixels in the second focus detecting pixel group.

4. The image sensor according to claim 3 , wherein,
when outputs of the imaging pixels corresponding to the first color filters are mixed and read out, readout is performed by mixing outputs of the focus detecting pixel in the first focus detecting pixel group.

5. The image sensor according to claim 4 , wherein
the pixel mixing readout section mixes and reads out outputs of pixels corresponding to same color filters included in a predetermined number of pixel lines, and
the focus detecting pixels corresponding to the first color filters are arranged in a plurality of regions included in an effective light receiving region of the image sensor, the focus detecting pixels corresponding to the first color filters are not arranged in regions between the plurality of regions, and width of the region where the focus detecting pixels corresponding to the first color filters are not arranged corresponds to not smaller than two times of a number of pixel lines necessary for pixel mixing readout.

6. The image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first color filters are green, and the second color filters are blue or red.

7. The image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first color filters are blue or red, and the second color filters are red or blue differently from the first color filters.

8. The image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the focus detecting pixels corresponding to the first color filters are arranged in a plurality of regions included in an effective light receiving region of the image sensor, and the focus detecting pixels corresponding to the first color filters are not arranged in region between the plurality of regions.

9. The image sensor according to claim 8 , wherein
the focus detecting pixels corresponding to the second color filters are arranged in an entire light receiving region of the image sensor.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Kikuchi Tetsuo
• Okazawa Atsuro
• Shimada Yoshinao

Classifications

• H04N23/00

  Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N23/12

  with one sensor only · CPC title

• H04N23/672

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• G02B7/346 Primary

  using horizontal and vertical areas in the pupil plane, i.e. wide area autofocusing · CPC title