Image pickup apparatus capable of reading proper functional pixels when image signals are mixed or skipped and are read out, and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9338341-B2
Application number	US-99593809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2009
Priority date	Jul 10, 2008
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

There is provided an image pickup apparatus that has a mixture readout mode configured to mix and read outputs of a plurality of pixels in an image sensor ( 107 ), when pixels to be mixed are image pickup pixels, they are mixed. When the pixels to be mixed contain a focus detection pixel, a signal of the image pickup pixel is not mixed with a signal of the focus detection pixel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising: an image sensor that includes a plurality of first pixels each corresponding to a respective color and for producing image signals for displaying images, and a plurality of second pixels for producing signals for focus detection;
a controller configured to output signals from the image sensor and the controller has at least a mixture readout mode, and
a focus state detector that detects a focus state based on signals outputted from the plurality of second pixels,
wherein in the mixture readout mode, the controller outputs pixel signals from both of the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of second pixels, and
wherein in the mixture readout mode, the controller mixes pixel signals of a predetermined number of first pixels corresponding to the same color to produce respective color signals and outputs the image signals from the image sensor for displaying images, while the controller outputs each pixel signal of each of the second pixels from the image sensor without mixing with other pixel signal.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the focus state detector does not detect the focus state, the controller does not output signals from the second pixels.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein when the focus state detector does not detect the focus state, the controller outputs the image signals from the first pixels.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller has another mode wherein signals from the first pixels are outputted without mixing with other pixel signal.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second pixel is partially shielded by a shielding member to limit an exit pupil of a photo taking lens.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein in the mixture readout mode, the controller mixes pixel signals of a predetermined number of first pixels and outputs the image signals every frame period, while the controller outputs each pixel signal of each of the second pixels in the same frame period without mixing with other pixel signal.

Assignees

• Taniguchi Hidenori
• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Taniguchi Hidenori

Classifications

• H04N23/672

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N25/704 Primary

  Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets · CPC title

• H04N5/3696

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/23212 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic