Imaging apparatus and solid-state imaging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9288382-B2
Application number	US-201414495016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2014
Priority date	Jan 30, 2013
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes: an optical lens; light receiving units each reading a photoelectric conversion signal; microlenses each placed for every two or more of the adjacent light receiving units; a signal generating unit generating (i) a full-addition signal by adding all of the photoelectric conversion signals obtained in a predetermined frame by the two or more adjacent light receiving units, (ii) a partial addition signal by adding the photoelectric conversion signals obtained by at least one but not all of the two or more adjacent light receiving units, and (iii) non-addition independent signals that are the photoelectric conversion signals of one of the light receiving units; a phase difference detecting unit detecting a focal point from the partial addition signal and the non-addition independent signals; and a camera YC processing unit generating a main image from the full-addition signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:
an optical lens that optically forms an image of light from an object;
a plurality of light receiving units two-dimensionally arranged on a substrate, and each configured to receive the light that has passed through the optical lens, convert the light into a photoelectric conversion signal, and read the photoelectric conversion signal in a non-destructive readout mode;
a plurality of microlenses each placed (i) for every two or more adjacent light receiving units among the light receiving units and (ii) above the two or more adjacent light receiving units;
a signal generating unit configured to read the photoelectric conversion signal from each of the light receiving units, and generate (i) a full-addition signal by adding all of the photoelectric conversion signals obtained in a predetermined frame by the two or more adjacent light receiving units corresponding to one of the microlenses, (ii) a partial addition signal by adding the photoelectric conversion signals obtained by at least one but not all of the two or more adjacent light receiving units, and (iii) non-addition independent signals that are the photoelectric conversion signals of one of the light receiving units;
a phase difference detecting unit configured to detect a focal point from the partial addition signal and the non-addition independent signals, based on a phase difference between the two or more adjacent light receiving units; and
a YC processing unit configured to generate a main image from the full-addition signal.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the light receiving units includes a photoconductive film above the substrate and below a corresponding one of the microlenses.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
an image sensor; and
a signal processing circuit that processes a pixel signal output from the image sensor,
the image sensor including:
the light receiving units;
a selecting circuit that selectively controls orders of reading pixel signals from the light receiving units to the signal generating unit; and
the signal generating unit, and
the signal processing circuit including:
the phase difference detecting unit; and
the YC processing unit.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein each of the microlenses is placed (i) for every two adjacent light receiving units among the light receiving units and (ii) above the two adjacent light receiving units,
the signal generating unit is configured to generate non-addition independent signals, and an addition signal by adding the photoelectric conversion signals obtained in the predetermined frame by the two adjacent light receiving units that correspond to one of the microlenses,
the imaging apparatus further comprises a sensor driving unit configured to set output timing of the addition signal and the non-addition independent signals per row or column,
the phase difference detecting unit is configured to detect the focal point from the non-addition independent signals, and
the YC processing unit is configured to generate a main image from the addition signal.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the signal generating unit is configured to:
output the non-addition independent signals to the phase difference detecting unit in the non-destructive readout mode at the beginning of a charge storage period in which charge generated from the light received by each of the light receiving units is continuously stored without being reset; and
output the addition signal to the YC processing unit at the end of and after the charge storage period.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein when a row is designated for the two adjacent light receiving units corresponding to the one of microlenses as light receiving units that should generate the non-addition independent signals, the two adjacent light receiving units are horizontally arranged, and the signal generating unit is configured to horizontally add the photoelectric conversion signals obtained by the light receiving units belonging to the designated row, and
when a column is designated for the two adjacent light receiving units corresponding to the one of microlenses as light receiving units that should generate the non-addition independent signals, the two adjacent light receiving units are vertically arranged, and the signal generating unit is configured to vertically add the photoelectric conversion signals obtained by the light receiving units belonging to the designated column.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the signal generating unit is configured to:
output the partial addition signal and the non-addition independent signals to the phase difference detecting unit in the non-destructive readout mode at the beginning of a charge storage period in which charge generated from the light received by each of the light receiving units is continuously stored without being reset; and
output the full-addition signal to the YC processing unit at the end of and after the charge storage period.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the signal generating unit includes:
a signal selecting unit configured to select one of (i) the partial addition signal and the non-addition independent signals and (ii) the full-addition signal; and
a signal adding unit configured to output, to the phase difference detecting unit, the partial addition signal out of (i) the partial addition signal and the non-addition independent signals selected by the signal selecting unit, and output the full-addition signal to the YC processing unit, the partial addition signal being generated by adding the photoelectric conversion signals obtained by at least one but not all of the two or more adjacent light receiving units corresponding to the one of microlenses, the full-addition signal being generated by adding the photoelectric conversion signals obtained by the two or more adjacent light receiving units.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the microlenses is placed (i) for every four of the light receiving units in two rows and two columns and (ii) above the four light receiving units, the two rows and the two columns being adjacent to each other,
when a column is designated for the light receiving units that should generate the partial addition signals and the non-addition independent signals, the signal generating unit is configured to horizontally add the photoelectric conversion signals obtained by the light receiving units belonging to the designated column,
when a row is designated for the light receiving units that should generate the partial addition signals and the non-addition independent signals, the signal generating unit is configured to vertically add the photoelectric conversion signals obtained by the light receiving units belonging to the designated row, and
when both a row and a column are designated for the light receiving units that should generate the partial addition signals and the non-addition independent signals, the signal generating unit is configured to independently read the photoelectric conversion signals obtained by the light receiving units belonging to the designated row and column.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light receiving units corresponding to each of the microlenses include color filters of a same color.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein color filters including the color filters are arranged as an RGB Bayer array.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wh

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fujii Toshiya
• Otani Mitsuhiko
• Onozawa Kazutoshi

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

• H04N25/76

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

• H10F39/18

  Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors · CPC title