Abstract: An imaging device includes a plurality of pixels each configured to convert incident light to an electric charge signal and output the electric charge signal as a pixel signal, and a pixel binning unit configured to bin pixel signals from pixels adjacent to each other and output the binned pixel signal. The pixel binning unit performs first pixel binning operation of binning pixel signals from pixels on the same column and second pixel binning operation of binning pixels on the same row.

Abstract: Output signals (pixel values) output from a sensor unit in which image sensors having six kinds of color filters with different colors are arranged are classified in association with three stimulus values, a color number is reduced by performing addition processing of the output signals (pixel values) in each classification to generate an image signal of three bands, and the generated image signal is used for the preview display so that a photographed image can be checked easily and immediately.

Abstract: In a single plate type solid-state image pickup device having a color filter with primary color filters, gray filters are disposed at specific pixels of the arrangement of the primary color filters, whereby variation of the sense of resolution with respect to color can be prevented, and outline emphasis is applied to achieve an excellent image.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device that has high-sensitivity pixel devices receiving a relatively large amount of light and low-sensitivity pixel devices receiving a relatively small amount of light, an exposure control unit independently controlling exposure periods of the high-sensitivity pixel devices and the low-sensitivity pixel devices, and an image generation unit performing image generation on the basis of an output signal of the image pickup device.

Abstract: An imaging element includes a pixel group that has pixels arranged two dimensionally therein, each including a photoelectric converting unit. The pixel arrangement of the pixel group is m rows by n columns. In the pixel group, a pixel area of an arbitrary two rows by two columns respectively includes a red pixel, a green pixel, a blue pixel and a non-color pixel. A red color signal for a given red pixel is a signal value obtained from the pixel. A green signal for the red pixel is obtained by averaging the signal values of two green pixels adjacently on the right and the left of the pixel. A blue signal for the red pixel is obtained by averaging the signal values of four blue pixels adjacently on the upper-right, the upper-left, the lower-right, and the lower-left of the pixel.

Abstract: An image pickup device receives an incident light by way of the color filter that also transmits an infrared light component. For the purpose of correcting an infrared light component contained in an output signal, a control unit adds correcting infrared light components to image signals of multiple colors supplied from the image pickup device, respectively. To remove the infrared light components contained in the output signals, the correcting infrared light components are subtracted from the image signals of multiple colors supplied from the image pickup device. The control unit switches between an addition processing where an infrared light component is added and a subtraction processing where the infrared component is subtracted, according to a predetermined condition.

Abstract: A physical information acquisition device uses a device including a detection unit for detecting electromagnetic waves, and a unit signal generating unit for generating and outputting the corresponding unit signal based on the amount of electromagnetic waves detected by the detection unit for detecting a physical quantity distribution in which the unit components are disposed on the same substrate in a predetermined sequence, for acquiring physical information for a predetermined application based on the unit signal.

Abstract: Image sensors and methods of operating image sensors. An image sensor includes an array of pixels and an array of color filters disposed over the array of pixels such that each different color filter is disposed over multiple pixels. A method of operating an image sensor including an array of two by two blocks of single color pixels includes determining a level of incident light, determining an incident light value corresponding to the level of incident light and comparing the incident light value to a predetermined threshold value. If the incident light value is less than the predetermined threshold value, a combined signal is read from the two by two blocks. If the incident light value is less than the predetermined threshold value, an individual signal is read from each pixel.

Abstract: A method of creating an image file in an imaging device, and an imaging device are provided. The method comprises providing an image sensor comprising pixels with an infrared filter arrangement so that some of the pixels of the sensor may be exposed to all wavelengths and some of the pixels of the sensor are blocked from infrared wavelengths. The pixels of the sensor that may be exposed to all wavelengths are utilized when taking an infrared image and the pixels of the sensor that are blocked from infrared wavelengths are utilized when taking a normal image.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a color filter unit disposed on a pixel array unit including pixels two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix and a conversion processing unit disposed on a substrate having the pixel array unit thereon. The color filter unit has a color arrangement in which a color serving as a primary component of a luminance signal is arranged in a checkerboard pattern and a plurality of colors serving as color information components are arranged in the other area of the checkerboard pattern. The conversion processing unit converts signals that are output from the pixels of the pixel array unit and that correspond to the color arrangement of the color filter unit into signals that correspond to a Bayer arrangement and outputs the converted signals.

Abstract: A color filter array includes a plurality of white filters, a plurality of yellow filters, a plurality of cyan filters and a plurality of green filters. The plurality of white filters transmits incident light. The plurality of yellow filters transmits a green component and a red component of the incident light. The plurality of cyan filters transmits the green component and a blue component of the incident light. The plurality of green filters transmits the green component of the incident light. An image sensor including the color filter array has high sensitivity and high SNR by increasing transmittance of the incident light.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having a plurality of pixels; and a color filter array of four colors disposed on the plurality of pixels, wherein the color filter away has a periodicity of two rows×two columns, and colors of four color filters in a periodical unit of two rows×two columns are all different.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device according to the present invention comprises: a region (hereinafter, referred to as a pixel cell 100) in which at least a photodiode 101 for performing photoelectric conversion, a readout MOS transistor 102 for reading out from the photodiode 101 an electric charge photoelectrically converted, and a floating diffusion 103 for reading out and storing the electric charge via the readout MOS transistor 102 from the photodiode are arranged; and a region (hereinafter, referred to as a transistor cell 106) which includes an amplifier MOS transistor 105 having a plurality of two or more said pixel cells 100 connected thereto and a reset MOS transistor 104 for resetting a potential of the floating diffusion 103 so as to be a potential the same as a potential of a power source and in which at least the reset MOS transistor 104 and the amplifier MOS transistors 105 are arranged, and the pixel cell 100 and the transistor cell 106 are two-dimensionally arranged.

Abstract: A color filter array includes a plurality of filters, each having one of a plurality of types of spectral sensitivity and being disposed at the location of a corresponding one of a plurality of pixels. The filters of a predetermined type selected from among the plurality of types are arranged at the locations of the pixels in a checkered pattern, and the filters of some or all of the other types are randomly arranged at the pixel locations at which the filters of the predetermined type are not present.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device includes shared amplification transistors and reset transistors arranged, for example, in a checkered pattern so that centroid of photo diodes 2 of the same colors are arranged substantially at an identical pitch. As a result, the resolution of the solid state imaging device can be maintained without considering irregularities of the incident light for each unit pixel.

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 color sensor comprises: light reception elements that generate color signals corresponding to stimulus values of colors in an RGB color system, the stimulus values of colors comprising a stimulus value of blue (B) and a stimulus value of red (R), wherein the light reception elements comprise a first light reception element that generates a red (R) color signal corresponding to the stimulus values of red (R); and a first portion that adds a signal corresponding to the stimulus value of blue (B) as a positive sensitivity component to one of: the first light reception element; and a red (R) color signal generated by the first light reception element.

Abstract: An image signal generated by a CCD image sensor is processed by the block-generating section 28 provided in an image-signal processing section 25. A class tap and a prediction tap are thereby extracted. The class tap is output to an ADRC process section 29, and the prediction tap is output to an adaptation process section 31. The ADRC process section 29 performs an ADRC process on the input image signal, generating characteristic data. A classification process section 30 generates a class code corresponding to the characteristic data thus generated and supplies the same to an adaptation process section 31. The adaptation process section 31 reads, from a coefficient memory 32, the set of prediction coefficients which corresponds to the class code. The set of prediction coefficients and the prediction tap are applied, thereby generating all color signals, i.e., R, G and B signals, at the positions of the pixels which are to be processed.

Abstract: An imaging system comprising a filter array adapted to filter electromagnetic waves, a lens array adapted to focus electromagnetic waves, and an image sensor configured to receive the focused electromagnetic waves. The filter array and the lens array are configured into elements that filter and focus electromagnetic waves that represent an object image window onto portions of the image sensor and each portion of the image sensor receives filtered electromagnetic waves that represent the object image window from one of the elements.

Abstract: A digital image processing apparatus and a method thereof. The apparatus includes a CCD to photoelectrically transform an optical image which is imaged through a lens part, using a mosaic color filter array pattern, a buffer to store a color data output from the CCD by a pixel, in a predetermined unit, and an ADSE logic to color-interpolate a spatially missing color data by adaptively applying a luminance significance element value to a certain color interpolation method, the luminance significance element value indicating contribution of each color to an entire luminance with respect to each pixel color data stored in the buffer.

Abstract: A solid state-imaging element including photoelectric conversion element and an optical element such as a photonic crystal is disclosed. The optical element is formed on the photoelectric conversion element, and has a refractive index periodic structure made up of stacked layers of materials with different refractive indices. The refractive index periodic structure is defined by multiple layers along a stacking direction and by a group of concentric similar shapes along an in-plane direction. The optical element may be fabricated via lithography and etching, or an autocloning technique. A solid state-imaging device including an arrangement of several solid-state imaging elements is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a video signal processing method of processing a luminance signal of a video signal generated by causing a CCD to receive light transmitted through color filters, a control signal yf1 is generated by calculating Cy/Y using a complementary color signal Cy and a luminance signal Y, and coring correction is performed to the luminance signal by using the control signal yf1. The characteristic difference between the color filters is suppressed, and, as a result, flickers are suppressed from being generated.

Abstract: A sensor for color and depth information capture is disclosed. A filter passes selected wavelengths according to a predetermined pattern to the sensor. The sensor measures light intensities passed by the filter. In one embodiment, the wavelengths passed by the filter correspond to red, green, blue and infrared light. The intensity values can be used for interpolation operations to provide intensity values for areas not captured by the sensor. For example, in an area corresponding to a pixel for which an intensity of red light is captured, interpolation operations using neighboring intensity values can be used to provide an estimation of blue, green and infrared intensities. Red, green and blue intensity values, whether captured or interpolated, are used to provide visible color image information. Infrared intensity values, whether captured or interpolated, are used to provide depth and/or surface texture information.

Abstract: In image input devices such as digital still cameras, processing is speeded up and power consumption is reduced by arranging in a RPU (23) performing real time processing of a pixel data from a CCD (21), such that only special exceptional image processing not being prepared previously is subjected to a software program processing in a CPU (24) and, in post processing in which a general image processing is carried out, a pixel data temporarily stored in a main memory (29) is inputted again to the RPU (23) and then processed. This enables to sharply speed up processing, and minimize a prolonged processing in the CPU (24) to reduce power consumption, when compared to the case of executing by software problem processing.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus includes a photoelectric converter having a plurality of pixels covered by a color filter composed of a plurality of colors, a plurality of common readout units adapted to sequentially output signals from the plurality of pixels, a time division multiplex (TDM) unit for time division multiplexing signals from the plurality of common readout units, and a readout control unit for reading the signals from the plurality of pixels to the common readout units in such a way that signals from pixels covered by color filters of the same color are continuously multiplexed.

Abstract: The image processing system includes: an image pickup apparatus (10) including image pickup elements of a color difference line sequential system that outputs, as video signals, a luminance signal (Y) and a line sequential, color difference signal (U/V); and an image processing apparatus (20) which includes a signal interpolator (21) for interpolating the line sequential color difference signal (U/V) to separate the line sequential color difference signal (U/V) into two color difference signals (V) and (U). With this configuration, only two video signal lines are required to connect the image pickup apparatus (10) and the image processing apparatus (20), and even though the number of signal lines is reduced, image quality deterioration is suppressed.

Abstract: In a single plate type solid-state image pickup device having a color filter with primary color filters, gray filters are disposed at specific pixels of the arrangement of the primary color filters, whereby variation of the sense of resolution with respect to color can be prevented, and outline emphasis is applied to achieve an excellent image.

Abstract: A plurality of images in which pixels are displaced from each other are obtained by displacing the optical path of light passing an image sensing device. The plurality of images have different exposure amounts in image sensing operations. In order to obtain an image with a high resolution and a broad dynamic range, a pixel of interest which suffers saturation or dark in one image is interpolated by pixels in the vicinity of the pixel of interest in an image sensed in a different exposure amount.

Abstract: To provide a signal processing apparatus and an image pickup signal processing method both of which restrain a color signal from being influenced by band limitation in a color processing system, thereby enabling signal processing which produces an undegraded image, the processing of color-suppressing RGB signals or complementary color signals is performed between a color interpolation circuit and a color-difference matrix circuit. Otherwise, the processing of suppressing a color signal is performed in front of the color interpolation circuit.

Abstract: An imaging camera apparatus (20) for capturing images electronically and providing output data for four separate color channels, red, green, blue, and a fourth saturated primary color, expanding the color gamut over conventional three color channel cameras. An image acquisition unit (120) directs input light to one, two, or four photosensors (30) for obtaining four-color image data.

Abstract: A digital camera includes a shutter button. When taking a still picture of a subject in response to operation of the shutter button, a TG carries out first exposure and second exposure. The first exposure and the second exposure are simultaneously started by the suspension of outputting a charge sweep-out pulse. Elapsing a first exposure period, the TG reads a first charge out of a part of the light-receiving elements, thereby ending the first exposure. Elapsing a second exposure period, a mechanical shutter is closed thereby ending the second exposure. A second charge produced due to the second exposure is read out after completing the transfer of the first charge. The first and second charges outputted from the CCD imager are combined together by an image combining circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording an image. The apparatus includes a two-dimensional array of image sensors. Each image sensor provides a measurement of the light intensity in a selected spectral region. The two-dimensional array is generated from a plurality of identical blocks of sensors, the blocks being juxtaposed to form the array. Each of the blocks has equal numbers of sensors for each of the spectral regions, the number of different spectral regions being at least three. The sensors in the blocks are arranged in a two-dimensional array having a plurality of rows and columns. The sensors in the blocks are arranged such that any straight line passing through a given sensor also passes through sensors of at least three different colors whose spectral responses are all linearly independent.

Abstract: Appropriate color correction is carried out when image data obtained by a digital camera are printed. Correction degrees for lightness, chroma, and hue are set for specific colors R, G, B, C, M, Y, YG, BS, SK(HL), SK(MD), SK(SD) in an image represented by the image data. In an L*a*b* color space, a distance between a center color of each of the specific colors and a color comprising the image represented by the image data is found. Based on the distance, the correction degrees for lightness, chroma and hue of the specific colors are subjected to weighted addition, and correction values for lightness, chroma and hue are obtained. Based on the correction values, lightness, chroma and hue of the image represented by the image data are corrected, and processed image data are obtained.

Abstract: A color filter array includes arrangements of green-filtered pixels to optimize performance and accuracy of color interpolation operations. Where red or blue pixels are found, green values are estimated with a high degree of accuracy. Unknown red and blue intensity values are interpolated by converting known red and blue values to hue. The interpolated hue values are then converted to intensity data.

Abstract: A CCD is driven by a drive circuit, whereby an independent readout drive of all pixels is carried out. Data of 4 lines are input in parallel to a two-dimensional register array by 4 scanning line delay devices. Interpolation is carried out for every color signal of green, magenta, cyan and yellow by an interpolation processing circuit according to data corresponding to pixels of 4 rows and 6 columns. A color difference signal generation circuit carries out a color separation process on the basis of the color signal subjected to an interpolation process.

Abstract: An image pickup device includes a first, second, and third sensors respectively sensitive to light in the blue, green, and red wavelength ranges, and a fourth sensor sensitive to light in a certain wavelength range between a first and second wavelengths, where spectral sensitivity distributions of the first and second sensors have peaks at the first and second wavelengths, respectively.

Abstract: A digital camera including a CCD imager and a complementary color filter mounted on a light receiving surface thereof. The complementary color filter has color blocks each having 8 rows×4 columns while the CCD imager has, at its light receiving surface, pixel blocks corresponding to those color blocks. The color block is assigned in its each row, with all the kinds of color components, i.e., G, Mg, Ye and Cy, at least one in number per kind. A timing generator reads, from respective columns, pixel signals including all the kinds, of color components at least one in number per kind. A timing generator reads from respective rows pixel signals including all tile kinds of color components at least one in number per kind, and transfers the read pixel signals in vertical direction. The timing generator also transfers the pixel signals in a horizontal direction each time vertical transfer by 8 rows has been completed.

Abstract: A 4-line CCD sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention has a monochromic reading line sensor section and a color reading line sensor section. This 4-line CCD sensor is characterized in that amplification factors for amplifiers 1 to 4 are set so that the amplitude of an output signal from the monochromic reading line sensor section is the same as that of each output signal from the color reading line sensor section. This 4-line CCD sensor is characterized in that the amplification factors for the amplifiers 1 to 4 are set so that the amplitude of each output signal from the color reading line sensor section is smaller than that of an output signal from the monochromic reading line sensor section.

Abstract: A sensor for color and depth information capture is disclosed. A filter passes selected wavelengths according to a predetermined pattern to the sensor. The sensor measures light intensities passed by the filter. In one embodiment, the wavelengths passed by the filter correspond to red, green, blue and infrared light. The intensity values can be used for interpolation operations to provide intensity values for areas not captured by the sensor. For example, in an area corresponding to a pixel for which an intensity of red light is captured, interpolation operations using neighboring intensity values can be used to provide an estimation of blue, green and infrared intensities. Red, green and blue intensity values, whether captured or interpolated, are used to provide visible color image information. Infrared intensity values, whether captured or interpolated, are used to provide depth and/or surface texture information.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system whose depth dimension is extremely reduced, taking advantage of an optical system type that can overcome conditions imposed on the movement of a zooming movable lens group while high specifications and performance are kept. The electronic image pickup system comprises an optical path-bending zoom optical system comprising, in order from its object side, a 1-1st lens group G1-1 comprising a negative lens group and a reflecting optical element P for bending an optical path, a 1-2nd lens group G1-2 comprising one positive lens and a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens group G2 moves only toward the object side. The electronic image pickup system also comprises an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom optical system.

Abstract: A sensor for color and depth information capture is disclosed. A filter passes selected wavelengths according to a predetermined pattern to the sensor. The sensor measures light intensities passed by the filter. In one embodiment, the wavelengths passed by the filter correspond to red, green, blue and infrared light. The intensity values can be used for interpolation operations to provide intensity values for areas not captured by the sensor. For example, in an area corresponding to a pixel for which an intensity of red light is captured, interpolation operations using neighboring intensity values can be used to provide an estimation of blue, green and infrared intensities. Red, green and blue intensity values, whether captured or interpolated, are used to provide visible color image information. Infrared intensity values, whether captured or interpolated, are used to provide depth and/or surface texture information.

Abstract: A sensor for color and depth information capture is disclosed. A filter passes selected wavelengths according to a predetermined pattern to the sensor. The sensor measures light intensities passed by the filter. In one embodiment, the wavelengths passed by the filter correspond to red, green, blue and infrared light. The intensity values can be used for interpolation operations to provide intensity values for areas not captured by the sensor. For example, in an area corresponding to a pixel for which an intensity of red light is captured, interpolation operations using neighboring intensity values can be used to provide an estimation of blue, green and infrared intensities. Red, green and blue intensity values, whether captured or interpolated, are used to provide visible color image information. Infrared intensity values, whether captured or interpolated, are used to provide depth and/or surface texture information.

Abstract: To provide an image pickup apparatus that generates an image signal having a high resolution both horizontally and vertically, the filter arrangement for a color filter array used in the apparatus is so designed that the colors of the filters in a cyclic patterned unit of N rows×N columns (4 lines×4 columns) differ from each other not only on the same line but also in the same column. Thus, from all the pixel blocks, pixel signals for each predetermined pixel block unit can be obtained that are required for the generation of a luminance signal and of color signals.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for rendering an image signal by adding another one color different from an inputted color, to an image signal composed of a predetermined number (for example, RGB) of components, is provided.

Abstract: An adaptive color enhancer applies different scale factors to different pixels in a digital image. More color enhancement occurs for bright pixels and for dim pixels than for average-intensity pixels. Also, more color enhancement is applied to the more colorful pixels while less color enhancement is applied to dull, less-colorful pixels. Rather than enhance all pixels to the same extent, the bright, colorful pixels are enhanced further than the average. Likewise, dim areas are color enhanced more than average. A calculation unit receives a YUV pixel. The Y value is compared to range limits and a piece-wise-linear (PWL) function generates an intermediate scale factor. The absolute values of the U and V color values are combined to create a colorfulness factor. The colorfulness factor is also used with a PWL function and the intermediate scale factor to generate a final scale factor for that pixel. The final scale factor is then multiplied by the U and V values of the pixel to generate a color-corrected pixel.

Abstract: A color filter array for CMOS and CCD image sensor applications, the color filter array having a tiling pattern of cyan, magenta, yellow, and blue pass filters. An imaging device with this color filter array provides signals in a CMYB color space.

Abstract: An improved digital camera that produces digital images of high qualities without using expensive image sensors and optics is disclosed. The disclosed digital cameras use multiple image sensors with multiple lenses. One of the multiple image sensors is made to be responsive to all intensity information in visible color spectrum and a (gray intensity) image resulting from the sensor is used to compensate lost information in images from other image sensors responsive to certain colors. A final color image is obtained by a digital image processing circuitry that performs pixel registration process with reference to the gray intensity image so that a true color image with true resolution is obtained therefrom.

Abstract: In a video conferencing system, digital data representing pixels of a selected scene are stored in a Video accumulator Array Memory cells (VAM), each cell having memory with several register structures and having the capability of processing the digital data to facilitate compression of the digital data. The VAM has the ability to tell the processor information about the temporal nature of the video data without requiring the processor to first read the data and then test the data. In accordance with the present invention, the capability of processing the video data is designed directly in the memory function as they are stored. The memory array, by providing a capacity of temporal processing wherein the digital data in one video frame can be logically interacted with another video frame later in time, can make a significant reduction in the bandwidth required to transmit a video frame.

Abstract: A single-plate color solid-state image pickup apparatus constructed to prevent a color deviation, using as a color filter array, complementary color filters that are sequentially arranged in color filter columns in a horizontally repeating cycle of four pixels of first, second, third, and fourth, such that: first color-difference signals are obtained as modulated signals periodically in a certain number of pixels from “first+second” and “third+fourth” pixel columns; second color-difference signals are obtained as modulated signals periodically in the same pixel number as the first color-difference signals from “second+third” and “fourth+fifth” pixel columns; and the first and second color-difference signals obtained from the pixel columns of “third+fourth” and “fourth+fifth” are different in phase by 180 degrees from the first and second color-difference signals obtained from the pixel columns of “first

Abstract: A method is provided having the first step of generating a first signal representing a first amount of light detected by a first pixel sensor, where the first amount of light is composed of light in a first spectrum and in a second spectrum. The method continues with generating a second signal representing a second amount of light detected by a second pixel sensor, where the second amount of light is composed of light in the second spectrum. Then, subtracting the second signal from the first signal. An architecture is also provided having a photodiode with a first output signal. A mirror circuit is coupled to the photodiode to duplicate the first output signal into a set of duplicated photodiode output signals. A filter array is coupled to the photodiode having a first infrared pass spectrum.