Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which can restore, from a color and sensitivity mosaic image acquired using a CCD image sensor of the single plate type or the like, a color image signal of a wide dynamic range wherein the sensitivity characteristics of pixels are uniformized and each of the pixels has all of a plurality of color components. A sensitivity uniformization section uniformizes the sensitivities of pixels of a color and sensitivity mosaic image to produce a color mosaic image, and a color interpolation section interpolates color components of the pixels of the color mosaic image M to produce output images R, G and B. The present invention can be applied to a digital camera which converts a picked up optical image into a color image signal of a wide dynamic range.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor includes: a plurality of image-capturing pixels, each equipped with a first micro-lens used to condense light; and a plurality of focus detection pixels engaged in focus detection, each equipped with a second micro-lens used to condense light; the plurality of image-capturing pixels and the plurality of focus detection pixels being disposed in a two-dimensional array. The first micro-lens and the second micro-lens are formed so that a light condensing position at which light is condensed via the second micro-lens is set further toward a micro-lens side than the light condensing position at which light is condensed via the first micro-lens.

Abstract: A solid state imaging element comprises: photoelectric conversion elements; a plurality of vertical electric charge transfer passages that transfer, in a vertical direction, electric charges generated by the photoelectric conversion elements; and a horizontal electric charge transfer passage that transfers, in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the electric charges transferred in the vertical electric charge transfer passage, wherein the horizontal electric charge transfer passage comprises a plurality of electric charge transferring stages each of which operates as an electric charge accumulating region or a barrier region according to a level of an applied voltage, and each of said plurality of electric charge transferring stages is connected to plural ones of the vertical electric charge transfer passages.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate; photoelectric conversion elements; vertical charge transfer paths that transfer charges generated in photoelectric conversion elements, in a vertical direction; a horizontal charge transfer path that transfers the charges transferred in vertical charge transfer paths, in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction; a plurality of charge accumulating sections between the vertical charge transfer paths and the horizontal charge transfer path; a plurality of electrodes disposed above the respective charge accumulating sections, the plurality of electrodes being classified into a plurality of kinds of electrodes; wirings corresponding to the respective kinds of electrodes and extending in the horizontal direction above the plurality of electrodes; and a planarizing layer disposed between the wirings and an uneven surface caused by the plurality of electrodes that are present in areas overlapping the wirings, so as to planarize the u

Abstract: Method and apparatus for a fast (low F/number) computational camera that incorporates two arrays of lenses. The arrays include a lenslet array in front of a photosensor and an objective lens array of two or more lenses. Each lens in the objective lens array captures light from a subject. Each lenslet in the lenslet array captures light from each objective lens and separates the captured light to project microimages corresponding to the objective lenses on a region of the photosensor under the lenslet. Thus, a plurality of microimages are projected onto and captured by the photosensor. The captured microimages may be processed in accordance with the geometry of the objective lenses to align the microimages to generate a final image. One or more other algorithms may be applied to the image data in accordance with radiance information captured by the camera, such as automatic refocusing of an out-of-focus image.

Abstract: A plurality of charge accumulation packets each of which is configured to accumulate signal charges from photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to (2n?1) rows where n denotes an integer equal to or larger than 2 are formed in to vertical charge transfer sections. The signal charges of the same color component are read from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to plural rows into each charge accumulation packet and are added in each charge accumulation packet. Then, the signal charges in the vertical charge transfer sections are transferred by a distance corresponding to one charge accumulation packet. A signal charge, which remains in the photoelectric conversion element and has the same color component as the electric charges previously read into each charge accumulation packet, is read into each charge accumulation packet. The newly read signal charge and the previously read signal charges are added in each charge accumulation packet.

Abstract: A driving method for driving a CCD type solid-state imaging device, includes: controlling, when taking dynamic images without a mechanical shutter, exposure time of a first pixel group and exposure time of a second pixel group separately by an electronic shutter function and by timings of reading pulses applied to transfer electrodes which concurrently functions as reading electrodes and which are included in vertical charge transfer paths; causing the vertical charge transfer paths to hold, until the reading pulses are applied to the second pixel group, signal charges read from the respective pixels of the first pixel group to which the reading pulses are applied beforehand of the first pixel group and the second pixel group; and transferring the signal charges read from the first pixel group and signal charges read from the second pixel group together on the vertical charge transfer paths.

Abstract: The invention relates to image sensors using a chip with cut corners. The sensor comprises a chip with cut corners comprising a matrix (10) of horizontal lines and vertical columns of photosensitive members, the matrix having a generally rectangular shape of horizontal width W and having four bevels, the sensor comprising as many current or voltage read blocks as there are matrix columns, in order to read the image signals detected by the photosensitive members, characterized in that the current or voltage read blocks are placed in a row (30, 30?) along a horizontal edge of the matrix of width W? and are all housed within a vertical strip, the width W1 of which is substantially less than the maximum width W of the matrix. There are two superposed rows of current read blocks with blocks distributed at the same pitch as the pixel columns, or there is a single row with read blocks distributed with a pitch less than that of the pixel columns.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is provided. The imaging device includes an imaging portion which includes light receiving portions and vertical transfer registers, a horizontal transfer portion, an output part for outputting an electrical signal converted from electric charges transferred from the horizontal transfer portion, a first reference potential applying means, and a second reference potential applying means. The imaging portion, the horizontal transfer portion and the output part are formed in a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate having a second conductivity type region, and a reference potential is applied to the second conductivity type semiconductor region. The first reference potential applying means applies a reference potential to the second conductivity type semiconductor region corresponding to an area where the output part is formed.

Abstract: A shift gate is arranged to be adjacent to a pixel column including a plurality of photosensitive pixels. The shift gate controls a storage time of a signal charge generated in the photosensitive pixels based on a shift pulse signal. The signal charge generated in the photosensitive pixels is transferred to an analog shift register via the shift gate. The analog shift register has a plurality of transfer stages independently driven using a plurality of drive signals. The signal charge generated in the photosensitive pixels is successively transferred by the transfer stages, and detected by an output unit provided at an end portion of the analog shift register so that an output signal is converted. The analog shift register makes an addition of the signal charges in accordance with drive signals when the transfer stages transfer the signal charges.

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device is provided which can reduce crosstalks between range finding photoelectric conversion elements (AF sensor) and photometry photoelectric conversion elements (AE sensor). The solid state image pickup device has an n-type epitaxial semiconductor region, a p-type first well region formed in the semiconductor region, a p-type second well region formed in the semiconductor region and electrically separated from the first well, an n-type first impurity doped region formed in the first well region and an n-type second impurity doped region formed in the second well, wherein a photometry photoelectric conversion element is formed by using the p-type first well region and n-type first impurity doped region, and a range finding photoelectric element is formed by using the p-type second well region and n-type impurity doped region.

Abstract: A MOS image sensor comprises: a semiconductor substrate that has a surface including an image area; a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged on the image area; and lines formed over the image area in a manner avoiding the photoelectric conversion elements and connected to a signal-read circuit provided corresponding to each of the photoelectric conversion elements, wherein a predetermined one of the lines is formed by a conductive polysilicon film.

Abstract: A method is disclosed as including scanning a first pixel of an image with a primary scanning line of a sensor, and scanning a second pixel of the image with a secondary scanning line of the sensor, wherein the first pixel is separated from the second pixel by a pitch of one or more scan lines. A compensation value is determined for one or more pixels of the image, wherein the compensation value is determined based, at least in part, on a mathematical operation comprising pixel values associated with the first and second pixels and the pitch. The method further includes compensating the one or more pixel values based, at least in part, on the compensation value, wherein the compensation value compensates for a reflection of light between the first and second scanning lines when the first and second pixels are scanned.

Abstract: In the semiconductor device, a gate region is formed in a mesh pattern having first polygonal shapes and second polygonal shapes the area of which is smaller than that of the first polygonal shapes, and drain regions and source regions are disposed within the first polygonal shapes and the second polygonal shapes, respectively. With this configuration, the forward transfer admittance gm can be increased as compared with a structure in which gate regions are disposed in a stripe pattern. Furthermore, compared with a case in which a gate region is disposed in a grid pattern, deterioration in forward transfer characteristics (amplification characteristics) due to an increase in input capacitance Ciss can be minimized while a predetermined withstand voltage is maintained.

Abstract: An imaging sensor system includes an optics system that images a point feature of a scene at an image plane with a blur-circle image having a blur diameter, and a detector array at the image plane. Special array patterns and signal detector logic are used to improve the accuracy of the determination of the object location. In one form, the detector array is a one-dimensional detector array comprising a plurality of detector subelements each having a width of from about ½ to about 5 blur diameters, and a length of n blur diameters. Each detector subelement overlaps each of two adjacent detector subelements along their lengths. An overlap of each of the two adjacent detector subelements is m blur diameters, and a center-to-center spacing of each of the two adjacent detector subelements is nO blur diameters. The value of n is equal to about 3m, and the value of m is equal to about nO/2. In another form, the detector is a two-dimensional detector array of detector subelements.

Abstract: A driving method of a solid-state imaging device including plural high-sensitivity pixels and plural low-sensitivity pixels that are arranged in mixed form in a manner of a two-dimensional array on a semiconductor substrate, the method including driving the solid-state imaging device in such a manner that an exposure period of the low-sensitivity pixels is set shorter than that of the high-sensitivity pixels.

Abstract: An image-taking apparatus according to the present invention is constituted to have a wiring structure of transfer electrodes matching with a color filter arrangement and exert vertical transfer control over signal charges so as to transfer the signal charges read from pixels in the same color to the same horizontal transfer route. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the pixel of an image-taking device includes an odd-numbered electrode readout gate and an even-numbered electrode readout gate so that it allows control to read the charges to either of vertical transfer routes adjacent to the right and left of the pixel. It can be constituted so that one of the right and left vertical transfer routes transfers the charges to the first horizontal transfer route and the other transfers them to the second horizontal transfer route.

Abstract: An electro-optical device provided with a plurality of pixel sections, includes: a first substrate having a plurality of light-emitting elements to configure the plurality of pixel sections; a second substrate having a driving circuit to control light emission of the plurality of light-emitting elements, respectively, and disposed so as to face an element forming surface of the first substrate; and a plurality of conductive connectors provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, and electrically connect the plurality of light-emitting elements, respectively, to the driving circuit. The plurality of conductive connectors are disposed in a staggered manner at least along a first arrangement direction of the plurality of pixel sections.

Abstract: A CCD type solid-state image sensor (CCD) and an image pickup apparatus of this invention have an image pickup unit and a charge multiplier mounted, as separated from each other, on a packaging board, thereby reducing an influence of one of the image pickup unit and the charge multiplier on the other. Consequently, an improvement in yield is realized. With the image pickup unit and the charge multiplier mounted, as separated from each other, on the packaging board, the CCD type solid-state image sensor (CCD) and the image pickup apparatus are highly versatile also when a design change is made in one of the image pickup unit and the charge multiplier.

Abstract: Image data of a digital signal is inputted to a digital signal processor. A CPU reads out color correction coefficients from a ROM. Weights are added to the color correction coefficients based on information regarding transfer efficiency of a CCD image sensor such that the coefficients in a horizontal direction are set larger than those in a vertical direction. Further, an interpolation processor calculates horizontal and vertical components of R, G, and B colors of each pixel through color interpolation processing based on image data of each pixel and its peripheral pixels. A linear matrix circuit is controlled by the CPU and subjects the horizontal and vertical components to linear matrix operation using the color correction coefficients, thus subjecting each pixel data to color correction processing.

Abstract: A solid-state image device is provided which has a semiconductor substrate, pixels A each containing a photoelectric conversion portion in which at least two PN junction parts are provide in a depth direction of the semiconductor substrate, pixels B each containing a photoelectric conversion portion in which at least one PN junction part is provided, first color filters provided above the pixels A, second color filters provided above the pixels B; and a detection mechanism for detecting a first color signal and a second color signal from the two PN junction parts of each of the pixels A and a third color signal from the PN junction part of each of the pixels B. According to the above solid-state image device, light can be more efficiently used than a color filter separation method, and superior color reproducibility to that of a three-well structure can be realized.

Abstract: A CCD image sensor is driven in an interlace scan method, in which readout of signal charge is performed in two divided fields. In the first field, signal charge Qs accumulated in photodiodes of the first horizontal line and noise charge Qn generated in VCCDs on the second horizontal line are transferred. In the second field, the signal charge Qs accumulated in the photodiodes of the second horizontal line and the noise charge Qn generated in the VCCDs on the first horizontal line are transferred. The image signal based on the noise charge Qn obtained in the second field is subtracted from the image signal Qs based on the signal charge obtained in the first field. Then the image signal based on the noise charge Qn obtained in the first field is subtracted from the image signal based on the signal charge Qs obtained in the second field.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus, photosensitive devices each are allocated to particular one of pixels bidimensionally arranged on a photosensitive cell array and is divided into two photosensitive regions having substantially equal photosensitive area. Signal charges stored in the two photosensitive regions each are transferred over particular one of vertical transfer paths arranged at both sides of the photosensitive regions. The signal charges are read out in an interlace read mode such that in a first field signal charges are read out from pixels corresponding to green, and in a second field signal charges are read out from pixels corresponding to red and blue.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels overlaid with a color filter pattern of at least two colors having the same color on every other pixel in one direction; three or more charge-coupled devices oriented parallel to the every other pixel color filter repeat pattern; a charge sensing amplifier at the output of at least two of the charge couple devices; each charge-coupled device having a first and a second gate; a CCD-to-CCD transfer gate connecting adjacent charge-coupled devices with the first gate being on one side of the CCD-to-CCD transfer gate and the second gate being on the opposite side of the CCD-to-CCD transfer gate; all CCD-to-CCD transfer gates are electrically connected together; all first gates are electrically connected; and all second gates are electrically connected.

Abstract: In a solid-state image sensor according to this invention, an image signal temperature variation suppressing unit changes a voltage value of a driver voltage applied to multiplying registers in response to variations in sensor temperature of a CCD image sensor. Thus, a charge multiplication gain of a charge multiplying unit is electrically controlled to suppress variations in signal strength of image signals due to the variations in the sensor temperature of the CCD image sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging element which includes a plurality of drive signal inputs, a plurality of bus lines, and a plurality of vertical transfer register electrodes. In the solid-state imaging element, a charge accumulated in light-receiving elements in a pixel region is vertically transferred by the drive signals input to the electrodes. Each of the electrodes has a contact part connected to the second contact and having a width smaller than a width of the electrodes in the pixel region, and a blank region is formed between predetermined adjacent two of the contact parts so that a width of the blank region is larger than a distance between respective two of the contact parts other than the predetermined adjacent two of the contact parts. The first contact is disposed on the blank region.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup element has: a photoelectric converting film which is stacked above a semiconductor substrate; plural photoelectric converting elements which are arranged in the row direction and the column direction on the semiconductor substrate, and signal charge accumulating portions in which signal charges generated in the photoelectric converting film are accumulated; vertical transfer paths which are formed in the semiconductor substrate, and which transfer signal charges accumulated in the photoelectric converting elements and the signal charge accumulating portions, in the column direction; a horizontal transfer path which transfers the signal charges transferred from the vertical transfer paths, in the row direction; and an output section which outputs color signals corresponding to the signal charges transferred from the horizontal transfer path.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes a color filter including complementary color filter segments. When a shutter release bottom is pressed to its half-stroke or full-stroke position, light incident via the filter is picked up in a movie/photometry or a still picture mode, respectively. While signal charges are read out of an image sensor in accordance with the mode, the signal charges are digitized to become pixel data. In the movie/the photometry mode, despite that a plurality of pixel data are mixed together, a set of primary color pixel data are generated as if pixel signals were thinned out by mixture. In the still picture mode, all the pixels are sequentially read out and interpolated to generate primary color pixel data greater in number than photosensitive cells. The primary color data are raised in frequency to enhance the resolution of a picture.

Abstract: In a control circuit for controlling a solid-state image pickup device, two sorts of image data are read out separately with differing sensitivities. A timing generator control in a digital camera controls a timing signal generator to the interlace scanning or to all-pixel scanning, and outputs a timing signal, consistent with this control, to the driver. The driver outputs a driving signal, consistent with the timing signal, to the solid-state image pickup device included in an image pickup unit to read out signal charges. In particular, in interlace scanning, readout of signal charges of main pixels of the image pickup device is separated from that of subsidiary pixels of the device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for achieving high-dynamic range operation with a set of spatially distributed pixel cells is provided. A pixel array with a row of pixels having apertures of varying sizes in a metal mask formed thereon controls the sensitivity of each pixel cell to light. A neutral density filter having varying light transparency values is also provided over the set of pixel cells to control the sensitivity of each pixel cell to light. The pixel cells voltage outputted is combined to obtain high-dynamic range operation.

Abstract: A method for driving a charge-transfer type solid-state image pick-up device, wherein the charge-transfer type solid-state image pick-up device comprises: high sensitivity photoelectric conversion elements for executing photoelectric conversion with relatively high sensitivity; low sensitivity photoelectric conversion elements for executing photoelectric conversion with relatively low sensitivity; and vertical transfer channels for transferring signal charges from said high sensitivity photoelectric conversion elements and said low sensitivity photoelectric conversion elements, the method comprising a charge transfer step of individually reading/transferring first signal charges from said high sensitivity photoelectric conversion elements and second signal charges from said low sensitivity photoelectric conversion elements onto said vertical transfer channels, without executing a high speed charge transfer operation for the vertical transfer channels after exposure of said solid-state image pick-up device.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device comprises a semiconductor substrate defining a two-dimensional surface, a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements disposed in a light receiving area of said semiconductor substrate in a plurality of rows and columns, an electric charge read-out device that reads out signal electric charges accumulated in said plurality of photoelectric conversion elements in interlace by dividing the signal electric charges in a plurality of fields, each field at least including the signal electric charges accumulated in the vertically adjacent photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to one color, and a vertical adding device that adds, for each field, the read-out signal electric charges divided into the plurality of fields. A solid state imaging device that can increase vertical resolution at a time of an interlace operation is provided.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging element includes an imaging element area, a first horizontal transfer register, a second horizontal transfer register, a first transfer channel, a second transfer channel, and a channel stop region.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging element includes: a plurality of light receiving elements provided within an imaging region on a semiconductor substrate; a color filter with a plurality of colors provided on the plurality of light receiving elements for filtering with a predetermined color; a vertical shift register disposed adjacent to the light receiving elements for transferring a charge from the light receiving elements; and a first horizontal shift register and a second shift register disposed interposing the imaging region therebetween for transferring a charge transferred from the vertical shift register and outputting a signal in accordance with the charge, respectively; wherein a respective charge of the light receiving elements accumulated therein in accordance with a light transmitted through filters of the same color in the color filter is transferred exclusively via either one of the first horizontal shift register or the second horizontal shift register to be outputted as the signal.

Abstract: A solid state imaging apparatus comprises a semiconductor substrate, photoelectric conversion elements, a vertical electric charge transferring device, a horizontal electric charge transferring device that temporarily stores the signal electric charges transferred from the vertical electric charge transferring device and transfers the signal electric charges to a horizontal direction in a sequential order, wherein the horizontal electric charge transferring device comprises at least two lines of horizontal shift registers and an electrode structure with which one-- shift register can transfer the signal electric charges to a direction that is 180 degrees different from another shift register and also can transfer the signal electric charges to a same direction as the another shift register continuously with the other shift register by changing driving of at least one of the shift registers, and output detecting devices.

Abstract: A drive method for a solid-state imaging device having an oblique pixel pattern includes the steps of: adding, separately for an odd-numbered row and an even-numbered row, x pixels in the horizontal direction and y pixels in the vertical direction, the x pixels and the y pixels having the same color, in an area having adjacent n pixels in the horizontal direction and adjacent n pixels in the vertical direction, where n is an odd number of three or greater and n?x?y; and repeatedly adding the x pixels and the y pixels while shifting the n×n area by m pixels in the vertical or horizontal direction, where m is an odd number of three or greater. The n×n area of odd-numbered rows is displaced from that of even-numbered rows by m pixels in the oblique direction in the oblique pixel pattern.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor includes photo-sensitive cells arranged in a bidimensional array for converting incident light to corresponding signal charges. Vertical transfer paths transfer the signal charges read out from the photo-sensitive cells in the vertical direction. The photo-sensitive cells are made up of first and second photo-sensitive cells each having particular sensitivity to incident light. The first and second photo-sensitive cells are positioned at one diagonal corners and the other diagonal corners, respectively, at opposite sides of each vertical transfer path such that the first and second photo-sensitive cells have photo-sensitive areas whose centers of gravity form a rectangle when connected by a virtual line.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes photo-sensors arranged in the directions of row and column and each corresponding to a particular pixel included in an imaging frame. Each photo-sensor is made up of a higher- and a lower-sensitivity photosensitive cell for photoelectrically transducing incident light to electric signal charges. A corrector executes shading correction on an image signal derived from the higher-sensitivity photosensitive cell in accordance with the shading characteristic of the higher sensitivity photosensitive cell, and on an image signal derived from the lower-sensitivity photosensitive cell in accordance with the shading characteristic of the lower-sensitivity photosensitive cell.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for a fast (low F/number) computational camera that incorporates two arrays of lenses. The arrays include a lenslet array in front of a photosensor and an objective lens array of two or more lenses. Each lens in the objective lens array captures light from a subject. Each lenslet in the lenslet array captures light from each objective lens and separates the captured light to project microimages corresponding to the objective lenses on a region of the photosensor under the lenslet. Thus, a plurality of microimages are projected onto and captured by the photosensor. The captured microimages may be processed in accordance with the geometry of the objective lenses to align the microimages to generate a final image. One or more other algorithms may be applied to the image data in accordance with radiance information captured by the camera, such as automatic refocusing of an out-of-focus image.

Abstract: The invention provides a solid-state image pickup device for an auto-focus and a camera for an auto-focus in which focusing precision is improved. The device has first and second linear sensor pairs (for example, 2-1, 2-2) each having a linear sensor for a base portion with a plurality of pixels and a linear sensor for a reference portion with a plurality of pixels in order to perform a focal point detection of a TTL passive-type phase detection system. The first and second linear sensor pairs have the same pixel pitch, the first and second linear sensor pairs are neighboring in parallel and are arranged so as to be relatively deviated in the arranging direction of the linear sensors, and a signal output to detect the focal point is executed by using both of the first and second linear sensor pairs.

Abstract: Described is a method of image dissection that utilizes random, non-rectangular scan patterns and irregular size and shape picture elements. To do this, matched faceplates would be cut from a fused scrambled fiber optic bundle with fibers of random diameters and cross sections. One faceplate would be placed in contact with the imager focal plane surface. The other faceplate would be placed in contact with the light-emitting surface of the display device. Thus, the images input and output from the imaging system of the invention would match. A video link would connect the focal plane imager and the raster scan display. The raster scan would be accomplished in a random manner so as to provide the best quality refresh rate and image.

Abstract: A method of compensating a zipper image by a K-value, and a method of calculating the K-value. Whether the nth primitive pixel of the mth line is obtained by primary line scan is determined. If the nth primitive pixel of the mth line is obtained by primary line scan, the nth primitive pixel of the mth line is compensated as the nth primitive pixel of the mth line minus a sum of the (n?1)th primitive pixel of the (m?k)th line and the (n+1 )th primitive pixel of the (m?k)th line multiplied by the K-value. If the nth primitive pixel of the mth line is obtained by secondary line scan, the nth primitive pixel of the mth line is compensated as the nth primitive pixel of the mth line minus a multiplication of the K-value and a sum of the (n?1)th primitive pixel of the (m+k)th line and the (n+1)th primitive pixel of the (m+k)th line.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes a low-sensitivity decision section made up of an arithmetic circuit and a data decision circuit. During RAW mode recording operation, the arithmetic circuit executes sensitivity correction on low-sensitivity pixel data. The data decision circuit compares the low-sensitivity pixel data thus corrected with high-sensitivity pixel data to thereby produce map data pixel by pixel. Subsequently, pixel data are omitted on the basis of an embedding condition assigned to basic data set beforehand and the map data, whereby recording data a regenerated. The recording data are then recorded in a recording medium together with the map data and high-sensitivity pixel data.

Abstract: An image apparatus and method is disclosed for extending the dynamic range of an image sensor. A first linear pixel circuit produces a first pixel output signal based on charge integration by a first photo-conversion device over a first integration period. A second linear pixel circuit produces a second pixel output signal based on charge integration by a second photo-conversion device over a second integration period, where the second integration period is shorter than the first integration period. A sample-and-hold circuit captures signals representing the first and second pixel output signals.

Abstract: An image-taking apparatus according to the present invention is constituted to have a wiring structure of transfer electrodes matching with a color filter arrangement and exert vertical transfer control over signal charges so as to transfer the signal charges read from pixels in the same color to the same horizontal transfer route. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the pixel of an image-taking device includes an odd-numbered electrode readout gate and an even-numbered electrode readout gate so that it allows control to read the charges to either of vertical transfer routes adjacent to the right and left of the pixel. It can be constituted so that one of the right and left vertical transfer routes transfers the charges to the first horizontal transfer route and the other transfers them to the second horizontal transfer route.

Abstract: A digital camera is provided with: a diaphragm for controlling an amount of incident light; a solid-state imaging element for receiving the incident light passing through the diaphragm, in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in an array shape, and each of the pixels is divided into a main pixel having a large area and a sub-pixel having a small area by an element separating band deviated from a center of the pixel; a synthesizing process unit for synthesizing a high-sensitivity image signal read from the main pixel of each of the pixels with a low-sensitivity image signal read from the sub-pixel; and controller for separately controlling a gain amount for the high-sensitivity image signal and a gain amount for the low-sensitivity image signal in response to a stop-amount of the diaphragm so as to cause the synthesizing process unit to execute the synthesizing operation.

Abstract: A plurality of low-sensitivity pixels 10 and a plurality of high-sensitivity pixels 20 are arranged like a tetragonal grid respectively, and are provided in positions shifted by ½ of an array pitch from each other in a row direction X and a column direction Y. The detected charges of the low-sensitivity pixel 10 and the high-sensitivity pixel 20 are transferred in the column direction Y by a vertical transfer section 31. The charges of the low-sensitivity pixel 10 and the high-sensitivity pixel 20 which are adjacent to each other in the column direction are transferred through the vertical transfer sections 31 which are different from each other.

Abstract: A method of broadening a dynamic range is applied to a solid-state image sensor of the type including photodiodes each being divided into a main and a subregion different in photosensitivity from each other. While the quantity of light to be incident on a photodiode is reduced, a signal charge is read out only from the main region of the photodiode. The signal charge is digitized and then written to two image memories. Digital signals thus stored in the image memories are respectively amplified by white balance gain circuits with different gains. The resulting digital signals are combined by an image synthesizer. The method can therefore broaden the dynamic range of the image sensor by using only the main regions of the photodiodes.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging element contains a plurality of photoelectric converting regions, vertical transfer portions, a horizontal transfer portion, and an output portion. These photoelectric converting regions are arranged on a surface of a semiconductor substrate along a row direction, and a column direction perpendicular to the row direction. The photoelectric converting regions are subdivided into main regions “m” having relatively wide light-receiving areas, and sub-regions “s” having relatively narrow light-receiving areas. These main areas “m” and sub-areas “s” produce signal electron charges corresponding to light having predetermined spectral sensitivities, and then store the produced signal electron charges. A partial photoelectric converting region within the photoelectric converting regions corresponds to different color light with respect to the main region “m” and the subregion “s.

Abstract: A solid state imager arrangement includes an image area, an output register which receives signal charge from the image area, a separate multiplication register into which signal charge from the output register is transferred, means for obtaining signal charge multiplication by transferring the charge through a sufficiently high field in elements of the multiplication register, and an additional register into which excess signal charge is transferred.