Imaging device and electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12273638-B2
Application number	US-202017773172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2020
Priority date	Nov 7, 2019
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

An imaging device according to the present disclosure includes the plurality of normal pixels arranged in a matrix, the special pixel arranged by replacing a part of the normal pixels, the color filter corresponding to the normal pixels and arranged according to a predetermined rule, the special filter arranged corresponding to the special pixel, and the special pixel color filter arranged to surround at least a part of the periphery of the special filter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device, comprising:
a plurality of normal pixels arranged in a matrix having a plurality of rows of normal pixels and a plurality of columns of normal pixels;
a plurality of special pixels arranged by replacing some of the normal pixels within the matrix, wherein each special pixel in the plurality of special pixels is next to at least one other special pixel in the plurality of special pixels in at least one of a row or a column direction;
a plurality of normal color filters, wherein one normal color filter in the plurality of normal color filters is provided for each of the normal pixels, and wherein a pattern of colors of the normal color filters is arranged across the matrix of normal pixels according to a predetermined rule;
a plurality of special filters, wherein one special filter in the plurality of special filters is provided for each of the special pixels; and
a plurality of special pixel color filters, wherein at least one special pixel color filter in the plurality of special pixel color filters is arranged along at least a part of a periphery of at least some of the special filters.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of special pixel color filters pass a same color of light as any one of the plurality of color filters.

3. The imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein at least one special color filter of the plurality of special pixel color filters is in contact with a corner portion of a normal color filter that passes through light of a same color as the at least one of the special color filters.

4. The imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein
at least one special pixel color filter from the plurality of special pixel color filters surrounds a periphery of at least one special filter from the plurality of special filters.

5. The imaging device according to claim 4 , wherein
the at least one special pixel color filter surrounds a special filter adjacent to a normal color filter that passes through light of a color different from a color of light passed through by the at least one special pixel color filter.

6. The imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein
the at least one special pixel color filter surrounds the peripheries of two or more adjacent special filters.

7. The imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein a special filter from the plurality of special filters is any one of an infrared light filter, an image plane phase difference filter, a white filter, a monochrome filter, and a black filter.

8. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
an imaging device;
an optical system that forms an image of incident light on a light receiving surface of the imaging device; and
a processor that controls the imaging device, wherein
the imaging device includes:
a plurality of normal pixels arranged in a matrix having a plurality of rows of normal pixels and a plurality of columns of normal pixels;

a plurality of special pixels arranged by replacing some of the normal pixels within the matrix, wherein each special pixel in the plurality of special pixels is next to at least one other special pixel in the plurality of special pixels in at least one of a row or a column direction;
a plurality of normal color filters, wherein one normal color filter in the plurality of normal color filters is provided for each of the normal pixels, and wherein a pattern of colors of the normal color filters is arranged according to a predetermined rule;
a plurality of special filters, wherein one special filter in the plurality of special filters is provided for each of the special pixels; and
a plurality of special pixel color filters, wherein at least one special pixel color filter from the plurality of special pixel color filters is arranged along at least a part of a periphery at least some of the special filters.

9. An imaging device, comprising:
a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein at least some of the pixels are normal pixels, wherein at least some of the pixels are special pixels, wherein each special pixel in the plurality of special pixels is next to at least one other special pixel in the plurality of special pixels, and wherein at least some of the special pixels are disposed in at least one of a first row of the plurality of rows of pixels or a first column of the plurality of columns of pixels;
a plurality of normal color filters in a one to one relationship with the normal pixels, wherein each normal color filter of the plurality of normal color filters is disposed over a light incident surface side of a corresponding normal pixel of the plurality of normal pixels;
a plurality of special filters, wherein each special filter in the plurality of special filters is disposed over a light incident surface side of a corresponding special pixel of the plurality of special pixels; and
a plurality of special pixel color filters, wherein each special pixel color filter in the plurality of special pixel color filters extends along at least a part of a periphery of at least one special filter of the plurality of special filters.

10. The imaging device according to claim 9 , wherein at least some of the pixels are disposed in at least the first row of pixels and the first column of pixels.

11. The imaging device according to claim 9 , wherein at least some of the normal color filters are green color filters, wherein at least some of the normal color filters are red color filters, and wherein at some of the normal color filters are blue color filters.

12. The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein the normal color filters form a Bayer array.

13. The imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein at least some of the special pixels are disposed in the first row, and wherein the special pixels in the first row are between one row of green and red color filters and another row of green and red color filters.

14. The imaging device according to claim 9 , wherein at least some of the special pixels are surrounded by a special pixel color filter.

15. The imaging device according to claim 9 , wherein at least some of the special pixels are disposed in the first row of pixels, and wherein every other special pixel in the first row of pixels is surrounded by a special pixel color filter.

16. The imaging device according to claim 9 , wherein the special color filters include any one of an infrared light filter, an image plane phase difference filter, a white filter, a monochrome filter, and a black filter.

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• ISERI Yuji
• Kira Hodaka
• Hagihara Daisuke
• Yoshida Kazuki
• Yasunaga Syo
• Yamaryo Koji
• Ono Takeo
• Sato Kimihiko

Classifications

• H04N25/13

  characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements · CPC title

• H04N25/706

  Pixels for exposure or ambient light measuring · CPC title

• H04N25/704

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

• H04N23/12

  with one sensor only · CPC title

• G02B5/20

  Filters (polarising elements G02B5/30) · CPC title