Abstract: In an imaging device, a photoelectric converter of a first pixel and a photoelectric converter of a second pixel are arranged along a first direction. At least part of a charge accumulation portion of the first pixel is disposed between the photoelectric converter of the first pixel and the photoelectric converter of the second pixel. An exit surface of a light guiding path of the first pixel is longer in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction in plan view than in the first direction.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method are provided which quantifies sharpness of one or more areas in an image. The sharpness processing includes acquiring an image from an image capturing apparatus, obtaining an object information characterizing a position of an object within the captured image, and controlling, based on a sharpness of each of a plurality of regions identified within the captured image according to the object information, an unit such that a sharpness information representing a numeric value regarding a sharpness of the captured image is displayed with the captured image.

Abstract: In an imaging device, a photoelectric converter of a first pixel and a photoelectric converter of a second pixel are arranged along a first direction. At least part of a charge accumulation portion of the first pixel is disposed between the photoelectric converter of the first pixel and the photoelectric converter of the second pixel. An exit surface of a light guiding path of the first pixel is longer in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction in plan view than in the first direction.

Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus is provided for obtaining an image captured by an image capturing apparatus; determining characteristic data of the captured image based on inputting the obtained image into an image analysis model trained with images including a predetermined type of characteristic data; and identifying, based on the determination performed by the image analysis model, metadata including a numeric value regarding the predetermined type of the captured image.

Abstract: An imaging device includes pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit, a holding unit holding charge transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit, and an amplifier unit outputting signal based on the charge. The pixels output a first signal based on charge generated in a first exposure period and a second signal based on charge generated in a second exposure period of different length. In the first exposure period, the photoelectric conversion unit accumulates the generated charge, and charge held by the holding unit is transferred to the amplifier unit. The second exposure period includes a period of accumulating the generated charge only in the photoelectric conversion unit and a period of holding the generated charge in the photoelectric conversion unit and the holding unit. In the period of accumulating the generated charge only in the photoelectric conversion unit, the charge held by the holding unit is transferred to the amplifier unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method are provided which quantifies sharpness of one or more areas in an image. The sharpness processing includes acquiring an image from an image capturing apparatus, obtaining an object information characterizing a position of an object within the captured image, and controlling, based on a sharpness of each of a plurality of regions identified within the captured image according to the object information, an unit such that a sharpness information representing a numeric value regarding a sharpness of the captured image is displayed with the captured image.

Abstract: In an imaging device, a photoelectric converter of a first pixel and a photoelectric converter of a second pixel are arranged along a first direction. At least part of a charge accumulation portion of the first pixel is disposed between the photoelectric converter of the first pixel and the photoelectric converter of the second pixel. An exit surface of a light guiding path of the first pixel is longer in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction in plan view than in the first direction.

Abstract: In an imaging device, a photoelectric converter of a first pixel and a photoelectric converter of a second pixel are arranged along a first direction. At least part of a charge accumulation portion of the first pixel is disposed between the photoelectric converter of the first pixel and the photoelectric converter of the second pixel. An exit surface of a light guiding path of the first pixel is longer in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction in plan view than in the first direction.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus has an acquisition unit that acquires a first image captured by coded exposure in which a transfer unit is driven for n times, and acquires a second image captured by driving the transfer unit for m times (m<n), an image correction processing unit that generates a third image by performing blur correction processing on the first image, and an image comparison unit that evaluates a plurality of images including at least two of the first image, the second image, and the third image, and selects an image of which evaluation is the highest among the plurality of images as an output image, or increases a weight for an image of which evaluation is highest among the plurality of images, relative to those of the other images, when an output image is generated by combining the plurality of images.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, and each of the pixels includes a photoelectric conversion unit that accumulates signal charge generated by photoelectric conversion of irradiated light, a first holding unit and a second holding unit that hold the signal charge transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit, and an output unit that outputs, to a column signal line, a signal based on an amount of the signal charge held by the first holding unit or the second holding unit. The first holding unit and the second holding unit alternately hold the signal charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit for each frame period, and in a period in which the signal charge is not transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit, the first holding unit and the second holding unit output the signal charge to the output unit.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element includes a light guiding unit in which, on each of a first plane, a second plane, and a third plane, a first part of the light guiding unit and a second part of the light guiding unit, which is surrounded by the first part and a refractive index of which is lower than that of the first part, are included, a width of the second part on the first plane is a first length, the width of the second part on the second plane is a second length, and the width of the second part on the third plane is a third length, and the second length is shorter than each of the first length and the third length.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to a solid-state image pickup device in which an impurity concentration has a first peak including a local minimum value in a depth direction of a semiconductor substrate in an isolation region arranged between adjacent photoelectric conversion portions, the impurity concentration has a second peak including a local maximum value in the depth direction in a charge accumulation region of the adjacent photoelectric conversion portions, and a region that indicates the first peak and a region that indicates the second peak have a portion overlapped in a direction perpendicular to the depth direction.

Abstract: In a state where an electric charge is held in a first charge holding unit, starting accumulation of an electric charge in a photoelectric conversion unit simultaneously in a plurality of pixel rows, and performing a first transfer operation for transferring an electric charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the first charge holding unit simultaneously in the plurality of pixel rows.

Abstract: An image pickup device includes a pixel region having a plurality of pixels that are two-dimensionally arranged, the plurality of pixels including a plurality of image pickup pixels and a plurality of focus detection pixels capable of phase difference detection; a plurality of microlenses arranged to correspond to respective photoelectric conversion units of respective image pickup pixels; and a plurality of microlenses arranged to correspond to respective photoelectric conversion units of the respective focus detection pixels. When at least one of the plurality of microlenses is orthogonally projected onto the corresponding photoelectric conversion unit, a vertex position of the at least one microlens is off a center position of the at least one microlens.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus has: an acquisition unit that acquires a first image captured by coded exposure in which a transfer unit is driven for n times, and acquires a second image captured by driving the transfer unit for m times (m<n); an image correction processing unit that generates a third image by performing blur correction processing on the first image; and an image comparison unit that evaluates a plurality of images including at least two of the first image, the second image and the third image, and selects an image of which evaluation is the highest among the plurality of images as an output image, or increases a weight for an image of which evaluation is highest among the plurality of images, relative to those of the other images when an output image is generated by combining the plurality of images.

Abstract: Respective first signal holding units of a plurality of sets are commonly connected to an input node of an amplification unit of one set via a second transfer unit of a set to which the first signal holding unit corresponds, and respective second signal holding units of the plurality of sets are commonly connected to the input node of the amplification unit of one set via a fourth transfer unit of a set to which the second signal holding unit corresponds.

Abstract: An imaging device includes pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit, a holding unit holding charge transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit, and an amplifier unit outputting signal based on the charge. The pixels output a first signal based on charge generated in a first exposure period and a second signal based on charge generated in a second exposure period of different length. In the first exposure period, the photoelectric conversion unit accumulates the generated charge, and charge held by the holding unit is transferred to the amplifier unit. The second exposure period includes a period of accumulating the generated charge only in the photoelectric conversion unit and a period of holding the generated charge in the photoelectric conversion unit and the holding unit. In the period of accumulating the generated charge only in the photoelectric conversion unit, the charge held by the holding unit is transferred to the amplifier unit.

Abstract: Provided is a solid-state imaging apparatus, including pixels each including: a photoelectric conversion unit; a charge accumulation unit; a transistor including a control electrode; a waveguide; and a light-shielding portion. The waveguide includes an incident portion and an output portion, the light-shielding portion includes a first portion that covers the control electrode of the transistor and a second portion that covers a part of the photoelectric conversion unit, the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit are arranged with an interval therebetween, the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is larger than an interval between a lower end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit, and the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is smaller than an interval between an upper end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit.

Abstract: An imaging device includes pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit, a holding unit holding charge transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit, and an amplifier unit outputting signal based on the charge. The pixels output a first signal based on charge generated in a first exposure period and a second signal based on charge generated in a second exposure period of different length. In the first exposure period, the photoelectric conversion unit accumulates the generated charge, and charge held by the holding unit is transferred to the amplifier unit. The second exposure period includes a period of accumulating the generated charge only in the photoelectric conversion unit and a period of holding the generated charge in the photoelectric conversion unit and the holding unit. In the period of accumulating the generated charge only in the photoelectric conversion unit, the charge held by the holding unit is transferred to the amplifier unit.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to a solid-state image pickup device in which an impurity concentration has a first peak including a local minimum value in a depth direction of a semiconductor substrate in an isolation region arranged between adjacent photoelectric conversion portions, the impurity concentration has a second peak including a local maximum value in the depth direction in a charge accumulation region of the adjacent photoelectric conversion portions, and a region that indicates the first peak and a region that indicates the second peak have a portion overlapped in a direction perpendicular to the depth direction.