Image pickup device, image pickup apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016112626-A1
Application number	US-201514876389-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 6, 2015
Priority date	Oct 15, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image pickup device includes a pixel unit which generates pixel signals for image and pixel signals for focus detection, a first memory unit which stores the pixel signals for image, a second memory unit which stores the pixel signals for focus detection, a pixel signal synthesizing unit which synthesizes the pixel signals for image from a plurality of pixel signals, and an image signal outputting unit which outputs the pixel signals for image synthesized by the pixel signal synthesizing unit and the pixel signals for focus detection stored in the second memory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image pickup device comprising:
a pixel unit in which pixels are arranged in a matrix, and, further, when a plurality of the pixels which are adjacent are regarded as unit pixels, the unit pixels are arranged in a matrix, and which generates pixel signals for image and pixel signals for focus detection; a pixel signal synthesizing unit which generates pixel signals for image by synthesizing at least the pixel signals for image generated from pixels within the unit pixels; a first analog memory which stores the synthesized pixel signals for image generated by the pixel signal synthesizing unit when the pixel signal synthesizing unit is disposed before the first analog memory, and at least the pixel signals for image read out from the pixel unit when the pixel signal synthesizing unit is disposed after the first analog memory; a second analog memory which stores the pixel signals for focus detection; and an image signal outputting unit which outputs as image signals, the synthesized pixel signals for image read out from the first analog memory when the pixel signal synthesizing unit is disposed before the first analog memory, and the synthesized pixel signals for image generated by the pixel signal synthesizing unit when the pixel signal synthesizing unit is disposed after the first analog memory, and the pixel signals for focus detection stored in the second analog memory.

2 . The image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the image signal outputting unit comprises a column-parallel AD converter in which AD converters are arranged in respective columns for reading out pixel signals simultaneously, a group of pixel signals in which only the synthesized pixel signals for image are arrayed and a group of pixel signals in which only the pixel signals for focus detection are arrayed being arranged in series for each row configured with the unit pixels so that the column-parallel AD converter performs AD conversion.

3 . The image pickup device according to claim 2 , wherein
the first analog memory and the second analog memory are respectively configured as one part of a memory unit and another part of the memory unit, and a partition line for partitioning the memory unit into the first analog memory and the second analog memory is variable, and when the pixel signal synthesizing unit is disposed before the first analog memory, the partition line is changed according to the number of pixels included in the unit pixels.

4 . The image pickup device according to claim 2 , wherein spatial frequency of the pixel signals for focus detection outputted from the image pickup device is made lower than spatial frequency of the pixel signals for focus detection generated by the pixel unit according to application of the pixel signals for focus detection.

5 . The image pickup device according to claim 4 , wherein the number of the pixel signals for focus detection stored in the second analog memory is made smaller than the number of the pixel signals for focus detection generated by the pixel unit in accordance with decreasing of spatial frequency of the synthesized pixel signals for image generated by the pixel signal synthesizing unit.

6 . The image pickup device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a focus detection pixel region selecting unit which selects an AF region from which the pixel signals for focus detection are to be read out from the pixel unit, wherein only the pixel signals for focus detection read out from the selected AF region are stored in the second analog memory.

7 . The image pickup device according to claim 2 , wherein the image signal outputting unit stops operation of an AD converter which is not used for AD conversion of pixel signals among the AD converters arranged in the column-parallel AD converter.

8 . The image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the pixel signal synthesizing unit generates pixel signals for image by further synthesizing the pixel signals for focus detection generated from the pixels within the unit pixels in addition to the pixel signals for image generated from the pixels within the unit pixels, and
when the pixel signal synthesizing unit is disposed after the first analog memory, the first analog memory further stores the pixel signals for focus detection read out from the pixel unit.

9 . The image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein, in the pixel unit, pixels for generating the pixel signals for image and pixels for generating the pixel signals for focus detection are arranged in a matrix.

10 . The image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein, in the pixel unit, pixels for generating the pixel signals for image and the pixel signals for focus detection are arranged in a matrix.

11 . An image pickup apparatus comprising:
the image pickup device according to claim 1 ; an image pickup optical system which forms an optical image on the image pickup device and for which a focus position can be adjusted; and a focus detection control unit which adjusts the focus position of the image pickup optical system based on the pixel signals for focus detection outputted from the image pickup device.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Shimada Yoshinao

Classifications

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N23/672 Primary

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N25/46

  by combining or binning pixels · CPC title

• H04N23/673

  based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method · CPC title

• H04N23/843

  Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values · CPC title