Solid-state imaging device and camera system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9661306-B2
Application number	US-201213981500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2012
Priority date	Feb 28, 2011
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel array section in which a plurality of color pixels are arranged in a matrix form in a first direction and a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction; and a multi-lens array in which multi-lenses which allow light to be incident on the plurality of color pixels are arranged, wherein in the respective color pixels of the pixel array section, color pixels adjacent in at least one direction of the first direction and the second direction are allocated to a pixel for L in stereo and a pixel for R in stereo, and wherein the multi-lens array is disposed so that at least part of the multi-lens array allows the light to be incident on the adjacent color pixels which are different in color in the first direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:
a pixel array section including a plurality of color pixels arranged in a first matrix form in a first direction and a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction; and
a multi-lens array including a plurality of multi-lenses arranged in a second matrix form in the first direction and the second direction, respective ones of the plurality of multi-lenses are configured to allow light to be incident on adjacent color pixels of the plurality of color pixels in only one of the first direction or the second direction,
wherein color pixels of the plurality of color pixels that are adjacent in at least one direction of the first direction and the second direction are allocated to a pixel for L in stereo and a pixel for R in stereo, and
wherein the multi-lens array is disposed so that at least a part of the multi-lens array allows the light to be incident on the adjacent color pixels which are different in color from one another in the first direction.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the plurality of color pixels includes a plurality of divided pixels which are regions whose light sensitivities or amounts of accumulated charges are different from each other,
wherein respective ones of the plurality of divided pixels are allocated to the pixel for L in stereo and the pixel for R in stereo, and
wherein the multi-lens array is disposed so that the light is incident on different color divided pixels at least a part of which have different colors in the first direction.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the plurality of divided pixels are arranged in at least the first direction, and
wherein adjacent divided pixels of the plurality of divided pixels are allocated to the pixel for L in stereo and the pixel for R in stereo.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the plurality of divided pixels that are part of one or more corresponding color pixels are arranged in a square shape in the first direction and the second direction, and
wherein the plurality of color pixels are arranged so that first respective divided pixels of the plurality of divided pixels have a low sensitivity and second respective divided pixels of the plurality of divided pixels have a high sensitivity, and
wherein the first respective divided pixels and the second respective divided pixels are alternately arranged in respective rows of the first matrix form of the plurality of color pixels.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the plurality of divided pixels are allocated to become the same pixels for L or R in stereo in the same column and are allocated to become the same pixels for R or L in stereo in an adjacent column, in the first matrix form of the color pixels.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the plurality of divided pixels that are adjacent to each other in the first direction and the second direction are allocated to become different pixels for L and R in stereo.

7. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the plurality of divided pixels are formed so that the pixel for L in stereo correspond to the high sensitivity or the low sensitivity and the pixel for R in stereo correspond to the low sensitivity or the high sensitivity in the same row, and so that the pixel for L in stereo correspond to the low sensitivity or the high sensitivity and the pixel for R in stereo correspond to the high sensitivity or the low sensitivity in an adjacent row, in the first matrix form of the color pixels.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the pixel array section includes a color filter array disposed on a light receiving section, and an on-chip lens array formed on the color filter array to correspond to each divided pixel,
wherein the multi-lens array is disposed on a light incident side of the on-chip lens array, and
wherein in the plurality of multi-lenses and on-chip lenses of the on-chip lens array, pupil correction is performed according to change in an optical axis.

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first matrix form is different from the second matrix form.

10. A camera system comprising:
a solid-state imaging device; and
an optical system configured to form an object image on the solid-state imaging device,
wherein the solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section including a plurality of color pixels arranged in a first matrix form in a first direction and a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction, and a multi-lens array including a plurality of multi-lenses arranged in a second matrix form in the first direction and the second direction, respective ones of the plurality of multi-lenses are configured to allow light to be incident on adjacent color pixels the plurality of color pixels in only one of the first direction or the second direction,
wherein in the respective color pixels of the pixel array section, the color pixels adjacent in at least one direction of the first direction and the second direction are allocated to a pixel for L in stereo and a pixel for R in stereo, and
wherein the multi-lens array is disposed so that at least part of the multi-lens array allows the light to be incident on the adjacent color pixels which are different in color from one another in the first direction.

11. The camera system according to claim 10 ,
wherein at least one of the plurality of color pixels includes a plurality of divided pixels which are regions whose light sensitivities or amounts of accumulated charges are different from each other,
wherein the respective divided pixels are allocated to the pixel for L in stereo and the pixel for R in stereo, and
wherein the multi-lens array is disposed so that at least part of the multi-lens array allows the light to be incident on the plurality of divided pixels of the adjacent color pixels which are different in color in the first direction.

12. The camera system according to claim 11 ,
wherein the plurality of divided pixels are arranged in at least the first direction, and
wherein adjacent divided pixels of the plurality of divided pixels are allocated to the pixel for L in stereo and the pixel for R in stereo.

13. The camera system according to claim 12 ,
wherein the plurality of divided pixels that are part of one or more corresponding color pixels are arranged in a square shape in the first direction and the second direction, and
wherein the plurality of color pixels are arranged so that first respective divided pixels of the plurality of divided pixels have a low sensitivity and second respective divided pixels of the plurality of divided pixels have a high sensitivity, and
wherein the first respective divided pixels and the second respective divided pixels are alternately arranged in respective rows of the first matrix form of the plurality of color pixels.

14. The camera system according to claim 13 ,
wherein the divided pixels are allocated to become the same pixels for L or R in stereo in the same column and are allocated to become the same pixels for R or L in stereo in an adjacent column, in the first matrix form of the color pixels.

15. The camera system according to claim 13 ,
wherein the divided pixels which are adjacent to each other in the first direction and the second direction are allocated to become different pixels for L and R in stereo.

16. The camera system

Assignees

• Hirota Isao
• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Hirota Isao

Classifications

• H04N25/585

  with pixels having different sensitivities within the sensor, e.g. fast or slow pixels or pixels having different sizes · CPC title

• H04N25/70

  SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N23/843

  Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values · CPC title

• H04N13/257 Primary

  Colour aspects · CPC title