Image sensing device for acquiring a light field image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11678071-B2
Application number	US-202017069674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2020
Priority date	Apr 7, 2020
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

An image sensing device includes a pixel array configured to include a first pixel group and a second pixel group that are contiguous to each other, each of the first pixel group and second pixel group including a plurality of imaging pixels to convert light into pixel signals, and a light field lens array disposed over the pixel array to direct light to the imaging pixels and configured as a moveable structure that is operable to move between a first position and a second position in a horizontal direction by a predetermined distance corresponding to a width of the first pixel group or a width of the second pixel group, the light field lens array configured to include one or more lens regions each including a light field lens and one or more open regions formed without the light field lens to enable both light filed imaging and conventional imaging.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensing device comprising:
a pixel array configured to include a first pixel group and a second pixel group that are contiguous to each other, each of the first pixel group and second pixel group including a plurality of imaging pixels to convert light into pixel signals; and
a light field lens array disposed over the pixel array to direct light to the imaging pixels and configured as a moveable structure that is operable to move between a first position and a second position in a horizontal direction by a predetermined distance corresponding to a width of the first pixel group or a width of the second pixel group, the light field lens array configured to include one or more lens regions each including a light field lens and one or more open regions formed without the light field lens to enable both light field imaging and conventional imaging,
wherein the first pixel group generates a conventional image by detecting incident light through the light field lens array disposed at the first position and generates a light field image by detecting incident light through the light field lens array disposed at the second position.

2. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of imaging pixels arranged in the first pixel group is identical to a number of the plurality of imaging pixels arranged in the second pixel group.

3. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first pixel group and the second pixel group are alternately arranged in a first direction or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the light field lens array is structured so that the one or more lens regions and the one or more open regions are alternately arranged in a first direction or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

5. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the width of the first pixel group or the width of the second pixel group corresponds to a width of the lens region or a width of the open region.

6. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the lens region and the open region of the light field lens array is identical in size to the first pixel group or the second pixel group.

7. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first pixel group and the second pixel group are configured to overlap with the open region and the lens region, respectively, upon placing the light field lens array at the first position.

8. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first pixel group and the second pixel group are configured to overlap with the lens region and the open region, respectively, upon placing the light field lens array at the second position.

9. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein a sum of an area of the lens regions of the light field lens array overlapping with the pixel array upon placing the light field lens array at the first position and an area of the lens regions of the light field lens array overlapping with the pixel array upon placing the light field lens array at the second position is identical in size to an area of the pixel array.

10. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the horizontal direction includes a row direction or a column direction of the pixel array.

11. The image sensing device according to claim 1 :
wherein the light field lens is configured to be mapped to a plurality of pixels in the first pixel group or the second pixel group; and
wherein the one or more lens region further includes a support plate configured to support the light field lens at a lower portion of the light field lens.

12. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lens driver configured to move the light field lens array to the first position or the second position; and
a lens controller configured to provide the lens driver with a voltage for moving the light field lens array.

13. The image sensing device according to claim 12 , wherein the lens driver includes:
first and second moving electrodes connected to the light field lens array, and configured to receive a first voltage; and
a first fixed electrode and a second fixed electrode configured to respectively receive any one of the first voltage and a second voltage and the other one of the first voltage and the second voltage to move the light field lens array.

14. The image sensing device according to claim 13 , wherein the lens controller includes:
a first controller configured to transmit the first voltage to the first moving electrode, and to transmit the first voltage or the second voltage to the first fixed electrode; and
a second controller configured to transmit the first voltage to the second moving electrode, and to transmit the first voltage or the second voltage to the second fixed electrode.

15. The image sensing device according to claim 13 , wherein:
the first and second moving electrodes extends along sides facing each other in the light field lens array; and
a top surface of each of the first and second moving electrodes is attached to a bottom surface of the light field lens array.

16. An image sensing device comprising:
a pixel array including a plurality of pixels; and
a light field lens array disposed over the pixel array and configured to move between a first position and a second position in a horizontal direction by a predetermined distance, the light field lens array configured to include one or more lens regions each including a light field lens and one or more open regions formed without the light field lens,
wherein at least one of the plurality of pixels is configured to:
receive light through the one or more lens regions upon placing the light field lens array at the first position, and
receive light through the one or more open regions upon placing the light field lens array at the second position, and
wherein the at least one of the plurality of pixels generates a light field image by detecting incident light through the light field lens array disposed at the first position and generates a conventional image by detecting incident light through the light field lens array disposed at the second position.

17. The image sensing device according to claim 16 , wherein the one or more lens regions include light field lens spaced apart from the pixel array.

18. The image sensing device according to claim 16 , wherein the one or more open regions are formed between adjacent lens regions such that the one or more lens regions are periodically arranged with the one or more open regions therebetween.

19. The image sensing device according to claim 18 , wherein the one or more open regions are periodically arranged in the same pattern as the one or more lens regions.

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jong Eun

Classifications

• G02B5/188

  Plurality of such optical elements formed in or on a supporting substrate · CPC title

• H04N23/54 Primary

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N25/70

  SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith · CPC title

• H04N25/745

  Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals · CPC title

• H04N25/772

  comprising A/D, V/T, V/F, I/T or I/F converters · CPC title