Imaging device and imaging method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016182792-A1
Application number	US-201615057626-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 1, 2016
Priority date	Sep 27, 2013
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The imaging device 1 has an image sensor 14 and an electronic diaphragm section. In the image sensor 14 , a plurality of pixels having an organic layer for photoelectric conversion is two-dimensionally arranged. Each pixel of the image sensor 14 is divided into a plurality of regions. The pixel has an on-chip microlens 15 , which forms a pupil image of a photography optical system 12 on the plurality of regions, and reading sections 16 which respectively read photoelectrically converted signals of the divided regions. The electronic diaphragm section electronically controls an aperture value, and selects divided regions, which are read by the reading sections 16 , on the basis of the aperture value, or selects a signal from the signals of the plurality of divided regions, which are read by the reading sections 16 , on the basis of the aperture value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An imaging device comprising:
an image sensor that is configured such that a plurality of pixels having an organic layer for photoelectric conversion is two-dimensionally arranged, and each pixel of the plurality of pixels is divided into a plurality of regions, and has an on-chip microlens, which forms a pupil image of a photography optical system on the plurality of regions, and reading sections which respectively read photoelectrically converted signals of the divided regions; and an electronic diaphragm section that electronically controls an aperture value, and that selects a divided region, which is read by the reading section, on the basis of the aperture value, or selects a signal from the signals of the plurality of divided regions, which are read by the reading sections, on the basis of the aperture value.

2 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising an image generation section that generates an image on the basis of the signals, which are read by the reading sections from the divided regions selected by the electronic diaphragm section, or the signals selected by the electronic diaphragm section,
wherein the electronic diaphragm section reads the signals from the plurality of divided regions corresponding to a plurality of aperture values, or selects the signals of the plurality of divided regions corresponding to the plurality of aperture values, and wherein the image generation section generates an image for each of the aperture values of the plurality of aperture values.

3 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein each pixel of the image sensor has divided regions which have smaller division widths in the center portion of the pixel than those in the peripheral portion of the pixel.

4 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein each pixel of the image sensor has divided regions which have the same division widths.

5 . The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image sensor has a filter constituted of a plurality of monochromatic color filters, wherein the monochromatic color filters are disposed to correspond to the pixels, and wherein the pixels have divided regions which have different division widths in accordance with colors of the monochromatic color filters.

6 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein each pixel of the image sensor disposed in the central portion of the image sensor is divided into regions symmetric to each other with respect to the center of the pixel, and each pixel of the image sensor disposed in the peripheral portion of the image sensor is divided into regions non-symmetric to each other with respect to the center of the pixel.

7 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the reading sections change the exposure time periods of the signals based on the plurality of aperture values and perform non-destructive reading when reading the signals from the plurality of divided regions corresponding to the plurality of aperture values through the electronic diaphragm section, and the electronic diaphragm section performs exposure for a longer time when selecting the divided regions on the basis of the aperture values on a small-aperture side than when selecting the divided regions on the basis of the aperture values on an open-side.

8 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising an amplification section that amplifies the signals which are read by the reading sections,
wherein the amplification section makes amplification degrees of the signals, which are read from the divided regions in the peripheral portion of the pixel, smaller than amplification degrees of the signals which are read from the divided regions in the central portion of the pixel.

9 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein when the reading section reads the signals from the plurality of divided regions, the exposure time periods of the signals from the divided regions in the central portion of the pixel are set to be longer than the exposure time periods of the signals from the divided regions in the peripheral portion of the pixel.

10 . An imaging method comprising:
a reading step of respectively reading photoelectrically converted signals of a plurality of regions by using an image sensor that is configured such that a plurality of pixels having an organic layer for photoelectric conversion is two-dimensionally arranged, where each pixel of the plurality of pixels is divided into the plurality of regions, and each pixel has an on-chip microlens which forms a pupil image of a photography optical system on the plurality of regions; and an electronic diaphragm step of electronically controlling an aperture value, and selecting divided regions, which are read by the reading sections, on the basis of the aperture value, or selecting signals from the signals of the plurality of divided regions, which are read by the reading sections, on the basis of the aperture value.

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Aoki Takashi
• Ootsuki Yasuo

Classifications

• H04N25/76

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• G03B9/02 Primary

  Diaphragms · CPC title