Image sensor and image capturing apparatus for simultaneously performing focus detection and image generation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10070088-B2
Application number	US-201514984465-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2015
Priority date	Jan 5, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

An image sensor, comprising a pixel region in which a plurality of pixel units are arranged, each pixel unit having first and second photoelectric conversion portions, a first output portion that outputs, outside of the image sensor, a first signal based on a signal from the first photoelectric conversion portion of the pixel units, and a second output portion that outputs a second signal based on a signal from the first photoelectric conversion portion and a signal from the second photoelectric conversion portion of the pixel units, wherein output of the first signal from the first output portion and output of the second signal from the second output portion are performed in parallel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensor, comprising:
a pixel region in which a plurality of pixel units are arranged, each pixel unit having a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions;
a driving circuit that drives the pixel region to output signals from the pixel units in the pixel region;
a focus detection signal processor that generates focus detection signals by performing a predetermined arithmetic processing using first signals read out from at least one but not all of the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions of the pixel units by the signal readout circuit;
a captured image signal processor that generates captured image signals using second signals read out from all of the photoelectric conversion portions of the pixel units by the signal readout circuit;
a focus detection signal output circuit that outputs the focus detection signals; and
a captured image signal output circuit that outputs the captured image signals,
wherein the focus detection signal processor, the captured image signal processor, the focus detection signal output circuit and the captured image signal output circuit are provided on the image sensor.

2. The image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the pixel region is formed on a first semiconductor chip and,
the captured image signal processor and the focus detection signal processor are formed on a second semiconductor chip that is different from the first semiconductor chip,
wherein the first and second semiconductor chips are stacked.

3. The image sensor according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a plurality of first storage portions that stores the first signals;
a plurality of second storage portions that stores the second signals,
wherein the first storage portions and the second storage portions are formed on a third semiconductor chip that is different from the first and second semiconductor chips, and the first, second and third semiconductor chips are stacked.

4. The image sensor according to claim 3 , wherein each of the second storage portions comprises at least two capacitors, and
the second signals are generated by inputting the first signals to one of the at least two capacitors and inputting third signals which are read out from another photoelectric conversion portion of the plurality of photoelectric conversion portion to the other of the at least two capacitors.

5. The image sensor according to claim 3 , wherein each of the first storage portions and each of the second storage portions are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the pixel units.

6. The image sensor according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a plurality of A/D converters that convert the signals output from the pixel units to the digital signals,
wherein the plurality of A/D converters are formed on a third semiconductor chip that is different from the first and second semiconductor chips, and the first, second and third semiconductor chips are stacked.

7. The image sensor according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of A/D converters are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the pixel units.

8. The image sensor according, to claim 1 , wherein the focus detection signal processor performs the predetermined arithmetic processing after converting the first signals into luminance signals.

9. The image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined arithmetic processing includes correlation computation processing.

10. The image sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of first storage portions that stores the first signals; and
a plurality of second storage portions that stores the second signals.

11. The image sensor according to claim 10 , wherein each of the second storage portions comprises at least two capacitors, and
the second signals are generated by inputting the first signals to one of the at least two capacitors and inputting third signals which are read out from another photoelectric conversion portion of the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions to the other of the at least two capacitors.

12. The image sensor according to claim 10 , wherein each of the first storage portions and each of the second storage portions are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the pixel units.

13. The image sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of A/D converters units that convert the signals output from the pixel units to the digital signals.

14. The image sensor according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of A/D converters are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the pixel units.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Ikedo Hideki

Classifications

• G02B7/34 Primary

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