Image sensor and image capturing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514526-B2
Application number	US-201615750547-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2016
Priority date	Sep 16, 2015
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

An image sensor includes a pixel portion in which a plurality of unit pixels each having one micro lens and a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions are arrayed in a matrix, a signal readout portion that reads out signals accumulated in the photoelectric conversion portions and converts the read signals to digital signals, a signal processor that processes signals read out by the signal readout portion and has an image capture signal processor that performs signal processing for generating a captured image on signals read out by the signal readout portion and a focus detection signal processor that performs signal processing for focus detection on signals read out by the signal readout portion, and an output portion that outputs signals processed by the signal processor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image sensor comprising
a pixel portion in which a plurality of unit pixels each having one micro lens and a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions are arrayed in a matrix;
an image capture signal processor that performs signal processing for generating a captured image on signals output from the unit pixels of the pixel portion;
a focus detection signal processor that performs signal processing for focus detection on signals output from the unit pixels of the pixel portion;
an output portion that outputs signals processed by the image capture signal processor or the focus detection signal processor outside of the image sensor; and
a controller that controls signal processing of the image capture signal processor and the focus detection signal processor.

2. The image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the focus detection signal processor to select the signals of the unit pixels in a target area in the pixel portion, and output a signal of at least one photoelectric conversion portion among the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions of each of the unit pixels in the target area.

3. The image sensor according to claim 2 , herein the controller controls the focus detection signal processor to respectively output the signals of the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions of each of the unit pixels in the target area.

4. The image sensor according to claim 2 , wherein the controller controls the focus detection signal processor to selectively combine and output the signals of the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions of each of the unit pixels in the target area.

5. The image sensor according, to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the focus detection signal processor to perform a correlation operation on signals of the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions of each of the unit pixels and output a value calculated by the correlation operation.

6. The image sensor cording to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of holding circuits that hold signals output from the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions of each of the unit pixels.

7. The image sensor according, to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of holding circuits that hold signals output from the plurality a of photoelectric conversion portions of each of the unit pixels on a column-by-column basis.

8. The image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the image capture signal processor has a compression processor that compresses and outputs signals of the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions of each of the unit pixels.

9. The image sensor according to claim 8 , wherein the compression processor combines and averages the signals of the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions of each of the unit pixels.

10. The image sensor according to claim 1 , having a stacked structure formed by a plurality of semiconductor substrates and
wherein the pixel portion is formed on a first semiconductor substrate, and the image capture signal processor and the focus detection signal processor formed on a second semiconductor substrate.

11. An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image sensor,
an image processor that processes signals output from the image sensor and generates an image; and
a focus detector that processes read signals and performs focus detection,
wherein the image sensor includes
a pixel portion in which a plurality of unit pixels each having one micro lens and a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions are arrayed in a matrix
an image capture signal processor that performs signal processing, for generating a captured image on signals output from the unit pixels of the pixel portion; and
a focus detection signal processor that performs signal processing for focus detection on signals output from the unit pixels of the pixel portion;
an output portion that outputs signals processed by the image capture signal processor or the focus detection signal processor outside of the image sensor; and
a controller that controls signal processing of the image capture signal processor and the focus detection signal processor.

12. An image sensor comprising:
a pixel portion in which a plurality of pixels that photoelectrically convert light from a subject are disposed;
a subject detection portion that detects a subject area in which a subject image exists in the pixel portion; and
an output portion that outputs signals of the pixels of an entire area of the pixel portion to outside of the image sensor for generating an image, and outputs the signals of the pixels of the subject area of the pixel portion which was detected by the subject detection portion to outside of the image sensor for calculating an evaluation value.

13. The image sensor according to claim 12 , comprising an A/D conversion portion configured to convert the signals that are output from the pixels into digital signals.

14. The image sensor according to claim 12 , wherein each of the pixels has one micro lens and a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions.

15. The image sensor according to claim 12 , having a stacked structure formed by stacking a plurality of semiconductor substrates.

16. An image sensor, comprising:
a pixel portion in which a plurality of pixels that photoelectrically convert light from a subject are disposed;
a light metering portion that calculates a light metering evaluation value using signals of the pixels of a partial area of the pixel portion; and
an output portion that outputs the signals of the pixels of an entire area of the pixel portion to outside of the image sensor for generating an image, and outputs the light metering evaluation value to outside of the image sensor for performing automatic exposure control.

17. The image sensor according to claim 16 , comprising an A/D conversion portion configured to convert the signals that are output from the pixels into digital signals.

18. The image sensor according to claim 16 , herein each of the pixels has one micro leans and a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions.

19. The image sensor according to claim 16 , having stacked structure formed by stacking a plurality of semiconductor substrates.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Ishii Mie
• Sasaki Ken

Classifications

• H04N25/778

  comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself · CPC title

• H04N23/631

  Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters · CPC title

• H04N25/445

  by skipping some contiguous pixels within the read portion of the array · CPC title

• H04N25/77

  Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components · CPC title

• H04N25/44

  by partially reading an SSIS array · CPC title