Focus detection apparatus and image pickup apparatus that perform focus detection using phase difference method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9030596-B2
Application number	US-201313887499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2013
Priority date	May 7, 2012
Publication date	May 12, 2015
Grant date	May 12, 2015

Abstract

A focus detection apparatus which is capable of estimating each of signals from a plurality of split PDs, which are included in a sum signal from split PDs, by performing a computation to thus detect saturation with respect to each split PD. With respect to each unit pixel cell having a plurality of PDs sharing one micro lens, saturation of a pixel signal read out in a non-destructive manner from one of the PDs is detected. Based on a first luminance signal and a sum pixel signal obtained by summing signals output from the PDs, another pixel signal output from another one of the PDs is estimated. Saturation of the estimated pixel signal is detected, and a second luminance signal is generated. Based on the first and second luminance signals, the amount of defocus for an optical unit is calculated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A focus detection apparatus comprising:
a solid-state imaging device configured to have an array of a plurality of unit pixel cells each having a plurality of photoelectric converters sharing one micro lens;
a first saturation detection unit configured to, with respect to each of the unit pixel cells, detect saturation of a pixel signal read out from one of the plurality of photoelectric converters;
a first luminance signal generation unit configured to…

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Shoda Satoshi
• Ogawa Takeshi

Classifications

• H04N23/672 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N23/70

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/23212 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/235

  Electricity · mapped topic