Electronic device including image sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12425748-B2
Application number	US-202218091875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2022
Priority date	Jun 30, 2020
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device includes: a color filter array including a plurality of color filters having a first grid pattern; an image sensor including the color filter array; and at least one processor electrically connected to the image sensor. The at least one processor is configured to acquire image data via unit pixels of a pixel array having a second grid pattern forming an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the first grid pattern. At least two of the plurality of color filters have different colors and the at least two of the plurality of color filters correspond to the unit pixels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a color filter array comprising a plurality of color filters having a first grid pattern;
an image sensor comprising the color filter array;
at least one processor electrically connected to the image sensor; and
memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, which are executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to acquire image data via unit pixels of a pixel array having a second grid pattern forming an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the first grid pattern,
wherein at least two of the plurality of color filters comprise different color filters and the at least two of the plurality of color filters correspond to the unit pixels, and
wherein each of the unit pixels of the pixel array has a shape of a quadrangle circumscribing a first color filter of the plurality of color filters of the color filter array.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of color filters comprises first color filter and second color filter,
wherein a unit pixel of the unit pixels corresponds to the first color filter and at least a part of the second color filter, and
wherein the instructions, which are executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to perform an binning operation in an area corresponding to the at least a part of the second color filter of the unit pixel.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first color filter is at least one filter of a group comprising a green color filter, a yellow color filter, and a white color filter.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the unit pixels comprises a first area, a second area, a third area, a fourth area, and a fifth area,
portions of a plurality of second color filters correspond to the second area and the fourth area, and
portions of a plurality of third color filters correspond to the third area and the fifth area,
the first area corresponds to the first color filter,
the second area, the third area, the fourth area, and the fifth area are defined by a contact of the first color filter and the unit pixel, and
the second area, the third area, the fourth area, and the fifth area correspond to an exterior of the first area.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein:
the second area and the fourth area are arranged to face each other with reference to a first center point of the first area, and
the third area and the fifth area are arranged to face each other with reference to a second center point of the first area.

6. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein a first center point between the second area and the fourth area, the second center point between the third area and the fifth area, and a third center point of the first area coincide with each other.

7. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of second color filters and the plurality of third color filters are different from each other, and respective colors of the plurality of second color filters and the plurality of third color filters are at least one among red, green, blue, yellow, emerald, white, cyan, and magenta.

8. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein a unit pixel in the pixel array has a shape of a quadrangle circumscribing four individual color filters surrounding the first color filter of the plurality of color filters of the color filter array.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein an area of the unit pixel is eight times a size of the individual color filter.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein:
the area of the unit pixel is twice the area of the first color filter,
the area of the unit pixel is four times the area of the plurality of second color filters, and
the area of the unit pixel is four times the area of the plurality of third color filters.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a color filter array comprising a plurality of color filters having a first grid pattern;
an image sensor comprising the color filter array;
at least one processor electrically connected to the image sensor; and
memory storing instructions,
wherein the instructions, which is executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to acquire image data via unit pixels in a pixel array having a second grid pattern forming an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the first grid pattern,
wherein each of the unit pixels in the pixel array comprises (i) a first area corresponding to a first color filters and (ii) a second area corresponding to areas corresponding to a part of different color filters,
wherein the image sensor is configured to output, through the first area, a first color value, and is configured to output, through the second area, at least one color value among a second color value and a third color value, and
wherein a plurality of combinations of the first color, the second color, and the third color represent areas of visible light.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the image sensor is configured to:
output the second color by performing interpolation a part of a second color filter of the different color filters corresponding to the second area, and
output the third color by performing interpolation a part of a third color filter of the different color filters corresponding to the second area.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein a combination of color filters is at least one combination among (i) a combination of a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter, (ii) a combination of a red color filter, a green color filter, a blue color filter, and a white color filter, (iii) a combination of a cyan color filter, a yellow color filter, and a magenta color filter, or (iv) a combination of a cyan color filter, a yellow color filter, a magenta color filter, and a white color filter.

14. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein either the first grid pattern or the second grid pattern is a pattern in which quadrangles are repeated.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Jaehyoung
• Kang Hwayong
• Kim Dongsoo
• Usui Takafumi

Classifications

• H04N23/10

  for generating image signals from different wavelengths · CPC title

• H04N23/84

  for processing colour signals · CPC title

• H10F39/8053

  Colour filters · CPC title

• H10F39/8023

  Disposition of the elements in pixels, e.g. smaller elements in the centre of the imager compared to larger elements at the periphery · CPC title

• H04N25/11 Primary

  Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics · CPC title