Capturing apparatus, capturing module, capturing system, and capturing apparatus control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020036881-A1
Application number	US-201716491261-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Jan 30, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A compound-eye capturing apparatus provided with a plurality of imaging devices captures a plurality of items of image data with the same image quality. First pixels for generating first pixel signals are arranged in a first pixel array part. Second pixels for generating second pixel signals are arranged in a second pixel array part. A first setting part sets an exposure time and a first gain for the first pixel signals on the basis of an appropriate exposure value. A second setting part adjusts the first gain on the basis of a difference in sensitivity between a first monocular camera module provided with the first pixel array part and a second monocular camera module provided with the second pixel array part, and sets the adjusted first gain as a second gain for the second pixel signals. A control part causes the first and second pixel array parts to be exposed over the exposure time. An amplification part amplifies the output first and second pixel signals by the first and second gains.

First claim

1 . A capturing apparatus comprising:
a first pixel array part in which first pixels for generating first pixel signals are arranged; a second pixel array part in which second pixels for generating second pixel signals are arranged; a first setting part configured to set an exposure time and a first gain for the first pixel signals on a basis of an appropriate exposure value; a second setting part configured to adjust the first gain on a basis of a difference in sensitivity between a first monocular camera module provided with the first pixel array part and a second monocular camera module provided with the second pixel array part, and to set the adjusted first gain as a second gain for the second pixel signals generated by the second pixels; a control part configured to cause the first and second pixel array parts to be exposed over the exposure time; and an amplification part configured to amplify the output first and second pixel signals by the first and second gains.

2 . The capturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the appropriate exposure value includes a first appropriate exposure value calculated from the first pixel signals and a second appropriate exposure value calculated from the second pixel signals, the first setting part sets the exposure time and the first gain on a basis of the first appropriate exposure value, and the second setting part calculates the second gain from the first appropriate exposure value, the difference in sensitivity, and the exposure time.

3 . The capturing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein in a case where a gain calculated from the first appropriate exposure value, the difference in sensitivity, and the exposure time takes a negative value, the second setting part acquires a new exposure time from the calculated gain and the exposure time, and sets the second gain at zero, and when acquiring the new exposure time, the first setting part sets a gain calculated from the new exposure time and the first appropriate exposure value as the first gain.

4 . The capturing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the second setting part comprises: a calculator configured to calculate a reference exposure value from the first appropriate exposure value and a sensitivity difference converted value obtained by converting the difference in sensitivity to an exposure value; a correction part configured to correct the second appropriate exposure value and output the corrected value as a corrected appropriate exposure value on a basis of the reference exposure value; and a gain calculation part configured to calculate the second gain from a difference between the corrected appropriate exposure value and a value obtained by converting the exposure time to an exposure value.

5 . The capturing apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the correction part corrects the second appropriate exposure value to a value within a predetermined permitted range including the reference exposure value.

6 . The capturing apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the correction part corrects a value obtained by weighting and adding the reference exposure value and the second appropriate exposure value to a value within a predetermined permitted range including the reference exposure value.

7 . The capturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first pixels include a plurality of pixels configured to receive pieces of light with mutually different wavelengths, and the second pixels receive pieces of light with a same wavelength, respectively.

8 . The capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first capturing lens configured to condense and guide light to the first pixel array part; and a second capturing lens configured to condense and guide light to the second pixel array part, wherein the first capturing lens has a different angle of field from a different angle of field of the second capturing lens.

9 . The capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising;
an AD conversion part configured to convert the first and second pixel signals to first and second pixel data, wherein the first gain includes a first analog gain and a first digital gain, the second gain includes a second analog gain and a second digital gain, and the amplification part comprises: an analog signal amplification part configured to amplify the first and second pixel signals by the first and second analog gains; and a digital signal amplification part configured to amplify the first and second pixel data by the first and second digital gains.

10 . A capturing module comprising:
a first pixel array part in which first pixels for generating first pixel signals are arranged; a second pixel array part in which second pixels for generating second pixel signals are arranged; a first setting part configured to set an exposure time and a first gain for the first pixel signals on a basis of an appropriate exposure value; a second setting part configured to adjust the first gain on a basis of a difference in sensitivity between a first monocular camera module provided with the first pixel array part and a second monocular camera module provided with the second pixel array part, and to set the adjusted first gain as a second gain for the second pixel signals generated by the second pixels; a control part configured to cause the first and second pixel array parts to be exposed over the exposure time; an amplification part configured to amplify the output first and second pixel signals by the first and second gains; and an image output part configured to output image data generated from the first and second pixel signals.

11 . A capturing system comprising:
a first pixel array part in which first pixels for generating first pixel signals are arranged; a second pixel array part in which second pixels for generating second pixel signals are arranged; a first setting part configured to set an exposure time and a first gain for the first pixel signals on a basis of an appropriate exposure value; a second setting part configured to adjust the first gain on a basis of a difference in sensitivity between a first monocular camera module provided with the first pixel array part and a second monocular camera module provided with the second pixel array part, and to set the adjusted first gain as a second gain for the second pixel signals generated by the second pixels; a control part configured to cause the first and second pixel array parts to be exposed over the exposure time; an amplification part configured to amplify the output first and second pixel signals by the first and second gains; and a recording part configured to record image data generated from the first and second pixel signals.

12 . A capturing apparatus control method comprising:
a first setting procedure of setting a first gain and an exposure time for first pixel signals from a second pixel array part out of a first pixel array part in which first pixels for generating the first pixel signals are arranged and the second pixel array part in which second pixels for generating second pixel signals are arranged on a basis of an appropriate exposure value; a second setting procedure of adjusting the first gain on a basis of a difference in sensitivity between a first monocular camera module provided with the first pixel array part and a second monocular camera module provided with the second pixel array part, and setting the adjusted first gain as a second gain for the second pixel signals; a control procedure of causing the first and second pixel array parts to be exposed over the exposure time; and an amplification procedure of ampl

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Asoma Akira

Classifications

• H04N23/76 Primary

  by influencing the image signals · CPC title

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title

• H04N25/13

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

• H04N23/72 Primary

  Combination of two or more compensation controls · CPC title