Image sensor and signal processing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10404952-B2
Application number	US-201615211623-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2016
Priority date	Jul 24, 2015
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

An image sensor device and a signal processing method thereof are provided. The image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, and at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels includes a micro lens, a filter which includes a first area for filtering a first color signal from a light signal transmitted through the micro lens, and a second area for filtering a second color signal from the transmitted signal, and a first photodiode for converting the first color signal into an electric signal, and a second photodiode for converting the second color signal into an electric signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensor, comprising:
a plurality of pixels, wherein each of at least one pixel among the plurality of pixels comprises:
a micro lens;
a filter, wherein the filter comprises:
a first area configured to filter a first color signal transmitted from the micro lens, wherein the first area consists of a transparent filter, and
a second area configured to filter a second color signal from the light signal transmitted from the micro lens, wherein the second area consists of a color filter;

a first photodiode for converting the first color signal into a first electric signal; and
a second photodiode for converting the second color signal into a second electric signal,

wherein the first area surrounds an entire area of the second area.

2. The image sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the first photodiode is located below the first area,
wherein the second photodiode is located below the second area, and
wherein the image sensor further comprises a barrier which is disposed between the first photodiode and the second photodiode.

3. The image sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the first area comprises a first transparent filter enclosing a half of the second area and a second transparent filter enclosing the other half of the second area.

4. The image sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the color filter comprises at least one of a red (R) filter, a green (G) filter, or a blue (B) filter.

5. The image sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the color filter comprises at least one of a red (R) filter, a green (G) filter, or a blue (B) filter, and
wherein the second area comprises a transparent filter.

6. The image sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the first area consists of a first transparent filter and a second transparent filter, and
wherein an area of the first transparent filter is symmetrical to an area of the second transparent filter with reference to an axis.

7. An image sensor comprising:
a plurality of pixels, wherein each of at least one pixel among the plurality of pixels comprises:
a micro lens;
a filter, wherein the filter comprises:
a first area configured to filter a first color signal from a light signal transmitted from the micro lens, and
a second area configured to filter a second color signal from the light signal transmitted from the micro lens;

a first photodiode for converting the first color signal into a first electric signal; and
a second photodiode for converting the second color signal into a second electronic signal,

wherein the first area consists of a first transparent filter and a second transparent filter parallel to the first transparent filter, and
wherein the second area is disposed between the first transparent filter and the second transparent filter and in parallel with the first transparent filter and the second transparent filter, and the second area consists of a color filter.

8. The image sensor of claim 7 ,
wherein the first photodiode is located below the first area,
wherein the second photodiode is located below the second area, and
wherein the image sensor further comprises a barrier which is disposed between the first photodiode and the second photodiode to distinguish between the first light signal and the second light signal.

9. The image sensor of claim 7 , wherein the color filter comprises at least one of a red (R) filter, a green (G) filter, or a blue (B) filter.

10. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein an area of the first transparent filter is symmetrical to an area of the second transparent filter with reference to an axis.

11. An electronic device comprising:
an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels; and
a processor functionally connected with the image sensor,
wherein each of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels comprises:
a micro lens;
a filter, wherein the filter comprises;
a first area configured to filter a first color signal transmitted through the micro lens, the first area consisting of a transparent filter, and
a second area configured to filter a second color signal from the light signal transmitted from the micro lens,

the second area consisting of a color filter;
a first photodiode for converting the first color signal into an electric signal; and
a second photodiode for converting the second color signal into an electric signal,

wherein the first area surrounds an entire area of the second area, and
wherein the processor is configured to generate brightness information and color information based on at least the first color signal and the second color signal which are converted into the electric signals, and output an image corresponding to the brightness information and the color information.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein one of the first area and the second area is enclosed by another area of the first area and the second area.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 ,
wherein the second area comprises a first color filter area and a second color filter area, and
wherein the first area is disposed between the first and second color filter areas.

14. The electronic device of claim 11 ,
wherein the first area comprises a first transparent filter area and a second transparent filter area, and the second area comprises a first color filter area and a second color filter area, and
wherein the first transparent filter area is located on a diagonal line from the second transparent filter area, and the first color filter area is located on a diagonal line from the second color filter area.

15. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to control auto focusing using the brightness information.

16. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to process the brightness information and the color information and convert the brightness information and the color information into YUV data.

17. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to:
generate phase difference information based on at least the brightness information, and
control a function of the electronic device using the phase difference information.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Youngkwon
• Kang Hwayong
• Kim Dongsoo
• Kim Moonsoo

Classifications

• H04N25/50

  Control of the SSIS exposure · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N25/704

  Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets · CPC title

• H04N23/672

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N25/133

  including elements passing panchromatic light, e.g. filters passing white light · CPC title