Based On Three Colors Patents (Class 348/280)
  • Publication number: 20110085063
    Abstract: A color filter array of an image sensor, the color filter array including a plurality of infrared ray (IR) filters, each of which filters out light to transmit wavelengths in an IR region; a plurality of first type color filters; a plurality of second type color filters; and a plurality of third type color filters, wherein some adjacent IR filters are arranged to form a T shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Inventors: Dong Ki Min, Young Gu Jin
  • Publication number: 20110080492
    Abstract: In an image sensor including a first column readout line and a second column readout line provided to each pixel column, a plurality of pixel rows are divided into pixel rows of a first group and pixel rows of a second group, pixels of the pixel rows of the first group output signals to the first column readout line, and pixels of the pixel rows of the second group output signals to the second column readout line. A shortest distance between a conversion region of a first pixel of a pixel row of the first group and the first column readout line to which a signal from the first pixel is output is not more than a shortest distance between the conversion region of the first pixel and the second column readout line to which the signals from the pixels belonging to the pixel rows of the second group are output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Matsuda, Yuichiro Yamashita, Shoji Kono
  • Publication number: 20110074960
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a solid state imaging device has a semiconductor substrate. First, second and third photoelectric conversion portions are provided in a surface region of the semiconductor substrate. A blue color filter has a film thickness to give a first light path length. A green color filter has a film thickness to give a second light path length longer than the first light path length. A red color filter has a film thickness to give a third light path length longer than the second light path length. A flattening film is formed on the blue color filter, the green color filter and the red color filter. The flattening film flats steps of the color filters. Micro lenses are provided on the flat film. Each of the micro lenses is formed at a position corresponding to each of the first, second and third photoelectric conversion portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Nagata
  • Publication number: 20110074991
    Abstract: Light shielding films for preventing color mixture are disposed between Green filters 106 such that the light shielding films are located on the opposite corners of the Green filters 106 arranged in a checkered pattern, thereby preventing color mixture caused by light 111 diagonally incident from an invalid region between the Green filters 106 adjacent to each other in a diagonal direction of the Green filter 106. Since light shielding films for preventing color mixture are further disposed on the vertical and horizontal boundaries between adjacent pixels, it is possible to prevent the incident light 111 reflected on the light shielding film formed on a transfer electrode 102 from being incident on a light receiving portion 101 in the vertical and horizontal directions, thereby preventing color mixture from the adjacent pixels. Thus it is possible to suppress color mixture while keeping sensitivity characteristics, and prevent deterioration of image characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Sakoh
  • Patent number: 7916362
    Abstract: An image sensor for capturing a color image is disclosed having a two-dimensional array having first and second groups of pixels wherein pixels from the first group of pixels have narrower spectral photoresponses than pixels from the second group of pixels and wherein the first group of pixels has individual pixels that have spectral photoresponses that correspond to a set of at least two colors, with the placement of the first and second groups of pixels defining a pattern that has a minimal repeating unit including at least six pixels with at least some rows or columns of the minimal repeating unit composed only of pixels from the second group of pixels, and including ways to combine similarly positioned pixels from at least two adjacent minimal repeating units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Takayuki Kijima, Hideo Nakamura, John T. Compton, John F. Hamilton, Jr., Thomas E. DeWeese
  • Publication number: 20110063467
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels and a plurality of color filters. The plurality of pixels is formed in a semiconductor substrate in a two-dimensional array arrangement. Each of the pixels has a photoelectric conversion region. The plurality of color filters is stacked on each of the pixels. The photoelectric conversion regions have the same depth irrespective of colors of the color filters stacked on the pixels. The width of a shallow portion of each of the photoelectric conversion regions is differ from a width of the deep portion of each of the photoelectric regions depending on the colors of the color filters stacked on the pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Shunsuke TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20110043671
    Abstract: A signal processing device includes a preprocessing unit interpolating a G color component to positions of a pixel of interest and a pixel having the same color component as the pixel of interest so as to produce a first G interpolation signal; a proximity G pixel G color difference and R/B pixel producing unit producing a first R-G/B-G color difference signal on the positions of the pixel of interest and the pixel having the same color component, producing a second R-G/B-G color difference signal on a position of a proximity G pixel, and interpolating the R/B color component to the position of the proximity G pixel; a G color difference re-constitution processing unit re-constituting a third R-G/B-G color difference signal on the position of the pixel of interest; and a G color difference interpolation processing unit interpolating an R-G/B-G color difference signal to a position of a predetermined pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Yuya YAMAGUCHI, Manabu Kawashima
  • Publication number: 20110043670
    Abstract: An imaging and processing device includes: an optical element; a single imager with a color filter array of a plurality of colors attached thereto for outputting a value according to an amount of light which has been guided by the optical element and transmitted through the color filter array, thereby enabling to obtain separate images of the plurality of colors for every frame time point; a first adder section for adding together values, associated with a first color of the plurality of colors, of different images obtained over a plurality of frame time points; a second adder section for adding together a plurality of values, associated with a second color of the plurality of colors other than the first color, of an image captured at a single frame time point; and an image restoring section for restoring an image including a plurality of colors at each frame time point from an image based on the first color which has been subjected to the addition by the first adder section, and an image based on the second
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Takeo AZUMA, Hiroyoshi Komobuchi, Taro Imagawa
  • Patent number: 7889921
    Abstract: A method for producing a noise-reduced digital color image, includes providing an image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses; providing from the image a panchromatic image and at least one color image; and using the panchromatic image and the color image to produce the noise-reduced digital color image by setting a plurality of color characteristics equal to the corresponding panchromatic characteristics at each color pixel location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Efrain O. Morales, John F. Hamilton, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20110032397
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for color plane interpolation are provided which interpolates the color values of pixels differently depending on an edge direction and whether a pixel is at an edge within an image. The use of the edge detection during the interpolation of each of the colors present in the color pattern helps reduce some of the disadvantages of the loss of image sharpness abundant in known demosaicing techniques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Inventor: Igor Subbotin
  • Patent number: 7884866
    Abstract: First YUV data produced from a pixel output in which one RAW-RGB data is read out from an SDRAM and is compensated in a dynamic range expansion compensating section of a YUV converting section and second YUV data produced from a pixel output which is equal to or more than a predetermined saturation level without performing a compensation process in the dynamic range expansion compensating section are loaded in a YUV compositing section, and then third YUV data is produced by compositing brightness data taken out from the first YUV data and color difference data taken out from the second YUV data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Yamada, Kenji Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7880772
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging section configured to approximate one of color matching functions representing sensitivity of the human eye to color by a spectral sensitivity that is obtained as a difference in output between, from among mutually adjacent photoelectric conversion elements, the photoelectric conversion elements arranged at predetermined positions, the imaging section having the photoelectric conversion elements arranged at the predetermined positions; and a signal processing section configured to apply to an output of the imaging section signal processing for converting an output of a photoelectric conversion element into a signal of a color image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Nagano, Tetsujiro Kondo
  • Publication number: 20110019042
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a light incident side; a circuit formation surface being opposite to the light incident side; and an inorganic photoelectric conversion unit having a pn junction and an organic photoelectric conversion unit including an organic photoelectric conversion layer, which are laminated in the same pixel in a depth direction from the light incident side and on which light is incident without passing through a color filter. Signals of the inorganic photoelectric conversion unit and the organic photoelectric conversion unit are read on the circuit formation surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuji Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20110019004
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging element, a color filter, a read control unit, an infrared component quantity detection unit, and an infrared component removing unit. The imaging element includes a large number of pixels in a light receiving surface. The color filter includes, a large number of red, green, and blue filter units, and a plurality of infrared-transparent filter units extracting the infrared component of imaging light incident substantially on a center and peripheral areas of the light receiving surface. The read control unit controls reading out of the imaging element. The infrared component quantity detection unit detects the infrared component quantity contained in the imaging light received at each pixel. The infrared component removing unit outputs the imaging data after removing the quantity of infrared component detected by the infrared component quantity detection unit from the imaging data obtained from each of the RGB pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
    Inventors: Kenji OHMORI, Takashi YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20110019041
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: photodiodes formed for pixels arranged on a light sensing surface of a semiconductor substrate; a signal reading unit formed on the semiconductor substrate to read a signal charge or a voltage; an insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate and including optical waveguides; color filters formed on the insulating film; and on-chip lenses formed on the color filters. The first and second pixel combinations are alternately arranged both in the horizontal and vertical directions, the first pixel combination having a layout in which two green pixels are arranged both in the horizontal and vertical directions and a total of four pixels are arranged, the second pixel combination having a layout in which two pixels are arranged both in the horizontal and vertical directions, a total of four pixels are arranged, and two red pixels and two blue pixels are arranged cater cornered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki ISHIWATA, Sanghoon HA
  • Patent number: 7875839
    Abstract: A solid state imaging device comprises a color filter, a pixel, and first and a second output lines. The color filter has color filter components of a first and second color. Each pixel is covered by the color filter component and has a photoelectric conversion element. The photoelectric conversion element generates color pixel signals according to amount of light received by the photoelectric conversion element. A first pixel is covered by the first color filter component. A first color pixel signal is generated by the first pixel. The first output line outputs only the first color pixel signal. A second pixel is covered by the second filter component. A second color pixel signal is generated by the second pixel. The second output line outputs only the second color pixel signal. The first and second pixels are arranged in two dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Sato, Yusuke Nonaka
  • Publication number: 20110013056
    Abstract: Color filter arrays or mosaics are provided for imaging a scene with diffraction limited optics. A distribution of color types in a color filter array is biased toward smaller wavelengths to avoid or reduce loss of spatial resolution information at higher wavelengths due to a larger extent of diffraction at the higher wavelengths. Demosaicing methods for reconstructing a partial or full color image from raw image data involve applying correction factors to account for diffraction. The correction factors are based on pixel size and/or a measure of the extent of diffraction (e.g., an Airy disk diameter) for each wavelength in the color filter array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventor: Nathan P. Myhrvold
  • Patent number: 7872681
    Abstract: A method of implementing high-performance color filter mosaic arrays (CFA) using luminance pixels. The introduction of luminance pixels greatly improves the accuracy of the image acquisition process for a given pixel and image sensor size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: RJS Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Sorin Davidovici
  • Publication number: 20100328485
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiro IMAMURA, Toshiya FUJII, Yoshiyuki MATSUNAGA
  • Patent number: 7859580
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining missing color pixel values in image data. Pixel values are interpolated in a horizontal or a vertical direction based on gradient scores and optionally chroma and local statistical scores. Several techniques for refining the interpolation direction determination are also disclosed, including applying a low-pass filter, applying one or more digital filters, and growing an interpolation direction region to nearby pixels. A technique for interpolating corner pixel values is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventor: Shuxue Quan
  • Publication number: 20100321543
    Abstract: A method for reconstructing a color image from a sensor which comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix of rows and columns is provided. The sensor is provided with a color filter array such that each pixel corresponds to one of three basic colors. The three basic colors are provided on the sensor in a predetermined pattern. The sensor outputs a detected value for each of the plurality of pixels. The method comprises the steps: for each of the plurality of pixels: accepting a detected value obtained for the corresponding one of the three basic colors and, for each of the respective two other basic colors, calculating a vertical interpolation value and a horizontal interpolation value and selecting either the vertical interpolation value or the horizontal interpolation value; outputting the accepted detected value and the selected interpolation values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Andreas Dicks
  • Publication number: 20100309350
    Abstract: An image sensor for capturing a color image comprising a two dimensional array of light-sensitive pixels including panchromatic pixels and color pixels having at least three different color responses, the pixels being arranged in a rectangular minimal repeating unit having at least eight pixels and having at least two rows and two columns, wherein for a first color response, the color pixels having the first color response alternate with panchromatic pixels in at least two directions, and for each of the other color responses there is at least one row, column or diagonal of the repeating pattern that only has color pixels of the given color response and panchromatic pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Inventors: James E. Adams, JR., Mrityunjay Kumar, Bruce H. Pillman, James A. Hamilton
  • Publication number: 20100309351
    Abstract: Image sensors and color filter arrays for in-pixel charge summing and interlaced readout modes may be provided. An image sensor that supports charge summing and interlaced readout modes may include an array of pixels with pairs of adjacent green, red, and blue light-sensitive pixels. An image sensor may implement an in-pixel charge summing readout mode in which charges from pairs of pixels are summed onto a common node and then read out from the common node. An image sensor may implement an interlaced readout mode in which image data is read out from alternating rows of the image sensor. An image sensor may use a shared readout scheme in which a group of four pixels is formed from two pairs of commonly-colored pixels. The four pixels may share circuitry such as a reset transistor, a buffer transistor, and a row select transistor and may connect to a single readout line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Inventors: Scott Smith, John Ladd
  • Publication number: 20100302417
    Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes photoelectric conversion parts formed on an image pickup surface of a substrate, where each photoelectric conversion part generates a signal charge by receiving incident light on a light reception surface thereof, and color filters formed on an image-pickup surface of the substrate, where each color filter allows the incident light to be colored by passing through. The photoelectric conversion parts are aligned in first and second directions and include first to third color filters. A surface on which the first color filter and the second color filter are laminated in the first direction is larger than a surface on which the first color filter and the third color filter are laminated in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Abe, Tetsuya Uchida
  • Patent number: 7830430
    Abstract: A method for forming a final digital color image, includes: capturing an image using an image sensor having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses; providing from the captured image a digital high resolution panchromatic image and a digital high resolution color differences image; and using the digital high resolution panchromatic image and the digital high resolution color differences image to produce the final digital high resolution full color image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: James E. Adams, Jr., John F. Hamilton, Jr., Michele O'Brien
  • Publication number: 20100277629
    Abstract: A photo detecting device and method thereon capable of obtaining a color image without significant deterioration even in an optical system having a lens array. The photo detecting device includes a lens array having a plurality of lenses; and a photoelectric converter having a plurality of photoelectric conversion areas, each area comprising a plurality of pixels which generate electrical signals from light passing through a corresponding lens of the lens array and striking at least one of the plurality of pixels; wherein each of the areas has a first zone and a second zone, wherein the second zone has a spectrum sensitivity characteristic different from a spectrum sensitivity characteristic of the first zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20100277628
    Abstract: An objective is to provide a solid-state image sensor which can reduce the pixel rate while restraining the reduction in the angle of view and the deterioration in image quality when image data is output from the image sensor, and an imaging apparatus using the image sensor. A solid-state image sensor includes: plural photoelectric conversion elements which respectively have color filters being divided into plural groups each including color filters of plural colors, the groups being cyclically provided; and an signal output unit which mixes up digital signals, which are output via the A/D converter, at predetermined sampling positions and at predetermined different rates, and outputs signals which are smaller in number than the photoelectric conversion elements, and sampling gravity centers of the signals output from the signal output unit are at equal intervals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: ACUTELOGIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sawada, Takehiro Minato, Takashi Masuda
  • Publication number: 20100265370
    Abstract: A method of forming a full-color output image using a color filter array image having a plurality of color channels and a panchromatic channel, comprising capturing a color filter array image having a plurality of color channels and a panchromatic channel, wherein the panchromatic channel is captured using a different exposure time than at least one of the color channels; computing an interpolated color image and an interpolated panchromatic image from the color filter array image; computing a transform relationship from the interpolated color image; and forming the full color output image using the interpolated panchromatic image and the functional relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Inventors: Mrityunjay Kumar, James E. Adams, JR.
  • Publication number: 20100253820
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a single-chip color image capture element that has a color mosaic filter 201 and a patterned polarizer 202 in which a number of polarizer units, having polarization transmission planes defining at least three different angles, are provided for multiple pixels of the same color (G) in the color mosaic filter 201.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Kanamori, Satoshi Sato
  • Publication number: 20100245638
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: a plurality of pixel portions including color filters and photoelectric conversion portions, respectively, each of the photoelectric conversion portions generating charge according to light incident thereon, the color filters being provided on a light incidence side of the respective photoelectric conversion portions, a distance between the photoelectric conversion portions and the color filters being shorter than or equal to 3 ?m; and a separation wall which is provided between adjoining ones of the color filters and separates the color filters from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Motoari OTA
  • Publication number: 20100225793
    Abstract: A plurality of photoelectric conversion elements including a first photoelectric conversion element, a second photoelectric conversion element, and a third photoelectric conversion element, are arranged in a photoelectric conversion apparatus of the present invention. Provided, between the first photoelectric conversion element and the second photoelectric conversion element, is a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type and of a first width in which a signal charge is a minor charier. And, provided, between the first photoelectric conversion element and the third photoelectric conversion element, is a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type in a higher impurity concentration and of a second width narrower than the first width at a position deeper in a semiconductor substrate rather than a depth of the first semiconductor region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: TAKASHI MATSUDA, Toru Koizumi
  • Patent number: 7787026
    Abstract: A camera has a continuous full-resolution burst mode wherein a sequence of full-resolution images is captured, is image processed by a pipeline of dedicated hardware image processing engines, is zoomed by a zoom engine, is compressed by a compression engine, and is stored into nonvolatile storage as a sequence of discrete files. The capturing of images and the storing of files continues at a rate of at least three frames per second until the user indicates burst mode operation is to stop or until nonvolatile storage becomes filled. Although the camera has a buffer memory into which raw sensor data is placed before image processing, the number of images that can be captured in a single burst is not limited by the size of the buffer memory. The cost of a consumer market camera having continuous burst mode capability is therefore reduced by reducing the required amount of buffer memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Media Tek Singapore Pte Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin Flory, Hung Do, William Stemper, Yasu Noguchi, Steven D. Loi
  • Patent number: 7777795
    Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes a photoelectric conversion portion for generating signal electric charges in accordance with an amount of incident light, a plurality of color filters, and a flattening layer formed on the plurality of color filters. A thickness of a projection or a recess on a surface of the flattening layer, provided on a region where color filters are adjacent to each other, is equal to or less than 0.2 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Hirayama, Yasuhiro Sekine
  • Publication number: 20100201853
    Abstract: A digital camera includes: a lens unit that forms a subject image on an imaging plane; an image sensor that includes color filters each disposed at one of pixels disposed in a lattice-like pattern over pixel intervals (a, b) along two directions, an x direction and a y direction, extending perpendicular to each other, with color filters corresponding to a first color component among first through nth (n?2) color components, disposed in a checkered pattern at pixels amounting to at least half an entire color filter density and color filters corresponding to remaining color components disposed at other pixels, and outputs image signals expressing the subject image; and an optical low pass filter unit at which light having passed through the lens unit and yet to enter the image sensor undergoes light beam separation along two diagonal directions ((1/2)a, (1/2)b)×(?2/?) and ((1/2)a, ?(1/2)b)×(?2/?) relative to (x, y) coordinate axes, so as to achieve frequency modulation for the subject image to become extinct at
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenichi ISHIGA
  • Patent number: 7773138
    Abstract: A color image sensor includes an array of pixels arranged in a plurality of pixel groups, each pixel group including a floating diffusion that is shared by four pixels disposed in a 2×2 arrangement. Each of said four pixels includes a photodetector and a color filter superposed over the photodetector, wherein a first pair of said four pixels include green color, and a second pair of said four pixels includes either red or blue color filters. A control circuit controls the pixel groups such that discrete image information is generated from each pixel in normal light situations, and such that summed image information is generated from each pixel group in low light situations by simultaneously connecting the green pixels to the floating diffusion during a first time period, and simultaneously connecting the red/blue pixels to said floating diffusion during a second time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Tower Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: Assaf Lahav, David Cohen
  • Patent number: 7760256
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes: a color and polarization obtaining section 101 including a single-chip color image capture element with a color mosaic filter and a patterned polarizer in which a number of polarizer units, of which the polarization transmission planes define mutually different angles, are arranged adjacent to each other within each single color pixel; a color information processing section 102 for getting average color intensity information by averaging the intensities of the light rays that have been transmitted through the polarizer units within each said single color pixel; and a polarization information processing section 103 for approximating, as a sinusoidal function, a relation between the intensity of light rays that have been transmitted through the polarizer units within each said single color pixel and the angles of the polarization transmission planes of the polarizer units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Kanamori, Satoshi Sato, Hiroaki Okayama
  • Patent number: 7760254
    Abstract: A color solid-state image sensing device including: a semiconductor substrate having a surface portion where high density impurity regions connected to signal reading circuits respectively are formed; a blue light detecting photodiode formed in a shallow portion of the semiconductor substrate; and a red light detecting photodiode formed in a deep portion of the semiconductor substrate, wherein connection regions which are provided so as to be continued to the photodiodes respectively and exposed to the surface of the semiconductor substrate are formed only in portions adjacent to the high density impurity regions so that electric charge accumulated in each photodiode can be transferred to corresponding one of the corresponding high density impurity regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuo Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20100165110
    Abstract: An image pickup device comprising visible color optimization under received near-infrared and infrared light conditions is disclosed. Color signals corresponding to light received through each of a plurality of color filters are processed to determine a near-infrared and infrared light energy contribution. The color signals are processed to optimize color of received images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoto Ohara, Yusuke Hayashi, Tomoya Sugita
  • Patent number: 7746397
    Abstract: An image device comprises an image sensor including an array of photodiodes for converting an optical image into electrical signals, a color filter comprising an array of red, green and cyan filter elements disposed opposite the array of photodiodes, and a color processor for color processing the electrical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jung-Hyun Nam
  • Publication number: 20100157118
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventor: Christopher Parks
  • Publication number: 20100157119
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventor: Christopher Parks
  • Patent number: 7742081
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus for imaging an image using a solid-state image pickup device includes a first linear matrix operation unit configured to perform matrix conversion upon a color component of an image signal obtained by imaging using coefficients capable of improving color reproducibility; a second linear matrix operation unit configured to perform matrix conversion upon the color component using coefficients capable of achieving noise component reduction; a signal combining unit configured to combine image signals output from a plurality of signal processing systems each of which includes one of the first or second linear matrix operation units; and a combination ratio setting unit configured to set a combination ratio so that, when a subject is bright, an image signal output from the signal processing system that includes the first linear matrix operation unit can be combined in an amount larger than the image signals output from the other signal processing systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Chiba, Yutaka Yoneda, Akira Matsui, Masaya Kinoshita
  • Publication number: 20100149389
    Abstract: An image pickup device includes an image pickup element that receives light of an object image formed by a picture-taking lens; and a focus detection filter section that is so disposed near the image pickup element and on the side of the picture-taking lens as to be able to be inserted or withdrawn. The focus detection filter section, from the side of the picture-taking lens, includes a field diaphragm that includes a plurality of openings; a condenser lens disposed near a focus detection area on the surface of the field diaphragm; a pupil division diaphragm that corresponds to the opening of the field diaphragm and includes a pair of openings arranged at such an interval as to secure focusing accuracy; and a re-imaging lens group that includes a plurality of re-imaging lenses that are so arranged as to correspond to the openings of each of the pupil division diaphragms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventor: Hisashi Goto
  • Publication number: 20100141814
    Abstract: An imaging device including: an electronic shutter and a pixel array part. The pixel array part has a plurality of pixels with different characteristics of spectral sensitivity arranged in an array and which converts light transmitted through the pixel into an electric signal. The pixel array part has a plurality of color pixels and at least one clear pixel, the plurality of color pixels including (i) a first color filter pixel having a peak of spectral sensitivity characteristics in red, (ii) a second color filter pixel having a peak in blue, and (iii) a third color filter pixel having a peak in green. At least a portion of the plurality of color filter pixels is arranged in an oblique pixel array system and at least one clear pixel having a high transmittance is arranged in the oblique pixel array system at a given position of a given row and a given column with respect to the first color filter pixel, the second color filter pixel, and the third color filter pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichi Kanai, Nobuo Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20100141813
    Abstract: An imaging device including: a pixel array part in which a plurality of pixels with different characteristics of spectral sensitivity are arranged in an array and which converts light transmitted through the pixel into an electric signal. The pixel array part has a plurality of color pixels and at least one clear pixel, the plurality of color pixels including (i) a first color filter pixel having a peak of spectral sensitivity characteristics in red, (ii) a second color filter pixel having a peak in blue, and (iii) a third color filter pixel having a peak in green.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichi Kanai, Nobuo Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20100134665
    Abstract: An imaging device including: an electronic shutter and a pixel array part. The pixel array part has a plurality of pixels with different characteristics of spectral sensitivity arranged in an array and which converts light transmitted through the pixel into an electric signal. The pixel array part has a plurality of color pixels and at least one clear pixel, the plurality of color pixels including (i) a first color filter pixel having a peak of spectral sensitivity characteristics in red, (ii) a second color filter pixel having a peak in blue, and (iii) a third color filter pixel having a peak in green.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichi Kanai, Nobuo Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20100134664
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus which can photograph a high-definition image and, at high quality, a moving image having lower resolution than that of the high-definition image is provided. The solid-state imaging apparatus comprises: plural pixels which include a photoelectric conversion unit and a transfer unit; an impurity diffused region which accumulates charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit through the transfer unit; an amplifying unit which outputs signals based on the charges accumulated by the impurity diffused region; and a reset unit which resets potential of the impurity diffused region, wherein the four pixels including the obliquely adjacent two pixels and the two pixels, in a same row or column, adjacent to one of the obliquely adjacent two pixels constitute a unit pixel group, and the impurity diffused region, the amplifying unit and the reset unit are commonly connected to the four pixels constituting the unit pixel group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukihiro Kuroda, Hidekazu Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20100128152
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus allowed to obtain parallax information while preventing a decline in apparent resolution. An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup lens having an aperture stop; an image pickup device including a plurality of pixels and obtaining image pickup data based on light received on the plurality of pixels; and a microlens array arranged between the image pickup lens and the image pickup device so that one microlens is allocated to 2×2 pixels in the image pickup device. The plurality of pixels are disposed in a fashion of two-dimensional arrangement along two directions rotated a certain angle with respect to a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kengo Hayasaka, Kenji Yamamoto, Isao Ichimura, Isao Hirota
  • Publication number: 20100123809
    Abstract: The solid-state image pickup device includes a sensor unit and a focus adjustment circuit, the focus adjustment circuit including a contour extraction circuit which extracts contour signals from wavelength signals W, B, G, and R, a contour signal selection circuit which receives a control signal and the plurality of contour signals extracted by the contour extraction circuit, and selects and outputs a contour signal having a desired wavelength band in accordance with the control signal, and a plurality of addition circuits which add the wavelength signals before the contour signals are extracted by the contour extraction circuit to a contour signal output from a contour signal output circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventor: Yoshitaka EGAWA
  • Publication number: 20100110245
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: ROSNES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takumi Yamaguchi, Takahiro Iwasawa