Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for processing a digital signal in an image sensor. The apparatus includes: a line memory unit for storing an inputted digital signal of red (R), green (G) and blue (B); a kernel generation unit for generating a plurality of kernels after receiving the RGB digital signal from the line memory unit; a false color detection unit for detecting false colors by using the plurality of kernels; an edge detection unit for detecting edges by using the plurality of kernels; an interpolation unit for interpolating the RGB digital signal from the line memory unit; a color space conversion unit for converting the interpolated RGB digital signal into a YCbCr signal; and an image enhancement unit for suppressing the false colors and enhancing the edges in the YCbCr signal in response to outputs of the false color detection unit and the edge detection unit.

Abstract: An image sensor array includes a substrate having at least three image sensors located therein. The image sensor array also includes a blue filter positioned proximate to the first image sensor; a green filter proximate to the second image sensor; and a red filter proximate to the third image sensor A first microlens is positionally arranged with the blue filter and the first image sensor; a second microlens is positionally arranged with the green filter and the second image sensor; and a third microlens is positionally arranged with the red filter and the third image sensor. The first microlens has a larger effective area than the second microlens, and the second microlens has a larger effective area than the third microlens.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pixel compensating circuit, an image taking apparatus employing such pixel compensating circuit, and a method for compensating pixel, wherein a defect pixel existed on an image sensor is effectively compensated. Namely, plural kinds of color information of a defect pixel and adjacent pixels having no defect are stored in a color information holding unit, and a difference calculating unit calculates a difference between color information without defect among color information of the defect pixel and color information of the adjacent pixels. Then, a reference pixel determining unit determines a reference pixel that makes the sum of the absolute values for the differences calculated at the difference calculating unit minimum among adjacent pixels, and a compensating unit compensates defect color information of the defect pixel based on an average value obtained by calculating average value of the differences for the reference pixel.

Abstract: Processing of a mosaic digital image includes interpolating values of a first color at pixels where the first color was not sampled. The interpolation of the first color value at a given pixel includes determining likelihoods of the given pixel belonging to the same region as each of at least two other pixels having sampled values of the first color. The other pixels are in different directions relative to the given pixel. The interpolation further includes using the likelihoods and the sampled values of the other pixels to interpolate the first color at the given pixel.

Abstract: A multiple photosensor pixel image sensor sense differentiated color components of light. The multiple photosensor pixel image sensor has a plurality of photo-sensing devices formed with the surface of the substrate. Each photo-sensing device has a structure adjusted to convert photons of the light to photoelectrons representative of a magnitude of the color component of the light for which the structure of the photo-sensing device is adjusted. Each multiple photosensor pixel image sensor includes at least one storage node to selectively receive photoelectrons from each photo-sensing device and triggering switches connected to selectively and sequentially transfer the photoelectrons from each of the plurality of photo-sensing devices to the storage node. At least one reset triggering switch is connected to the one storage node to place the storage node to a reset voltage level after integration and sensing of the photoelectrons.

Abstract: Pixel interleaving configurations for use in high definition electronic sign displays where each and every scan line includes full red, green, and blue color representation to provide for high resolution electronic video sign displays.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for generating an output signal that represents light with a desired color profile. A first sensor is provided to receive light and based thereon to generate a first signal with a first color profile. A color sensor is also provided that receives light and based thereon generates a second signal with a second color profile. A signal generation mechanism that is coupled to the first sensor and the color sensor and receives the first signal with a first color profile, receives the second signal with a second color profile, and performs a predetermined operation on the first signal and the second signal to generate the output signal with the desired color profile.

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

Abstract: An electrical signal output from an image sensing device is converted into digital image data and stored in a non-compressed form or a lossless-compressed form, in a storage medium. A user sets parameters associated with a white balance via a setting screen. The setting of the parameter is performed either in a first adjustment mode in which a color temperature is displayed as a parameter of the white balance is displayed together with the image data on the setting screen such that the user can adjust the color temperature or in a second adjustment mode in which a parameter of the white balance other than the color temperature is adjusted in a direction different from the direction in which the color temperature is adjusted. The image data is read from the storage medium and subjected to a white balance correction according to the parameters set via the setting screen.

Abstract: Providing a signal processing method for image synthesis with reduced computation load, a signal processor circuit for image synthesis with reduced computation load which allows manufacturing at a low production cost, and imaging apparatus which uses the signal processing method and the signal processor circuit. The signal processor circuit includes: a table storage area for storing an LUT; a table overwriting section for overwriting an LUT written into the table storage area with another LUT; and an arithmetic operation section for performing arithmetic operation on a first digital signal or a second digital signal based on the LUT written into the table storage area each time an LUT is written into the table storage area and synthesizing the first digital signal and the second digital signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solid-state camera device which can improve both the shading caused by the eclipse of the incident light and the shading cased by the rim darkening. The present solid-state camera device comprises a plurality of light-receiving parts 1 arranged at a constant interval on a substrate, and a plurality of light-focusing parts 2 disposed corresponding to each of the light-receiving parts on the substrate surface so that the incident light is focused on the light-receiving parts. Further, the position of each of the light-focusing parts is shifted gradually larger toward the center of the camera region O based on the corresponding light-receiving parts and the size along the substrate surface of each of the light-focusing parts 2, W1?, . . .

Abstract: There is provided an electronic camera comprising an imaging element which photo-electrically converts an object field light, a timing generator including an internal register in which timing of a drive signal used to operate the imaging element can be programmed, a power supply control portion which supplies a second voltage to the imaging element when a predetermined time has elapsed after supply of a first voltage to the timing generator, and a control portion which starts at least program setting in the internal register of the timing generator after elapse of a time that the timing generator requires to operate stably at the first voltage and before elapse of a time that the imaging element requires to operate stably at the second voltage.

Abstract: A programmable data reformatter reorders output from an image sensor to yield various formats. The reformatting applies to reduced resolution output from large image sensors as in digital cameras operating in video mode, and converts an irregular video mode output to a standard format, such as Bayer pattern, for image processing.

Abstract: A method, a system, a device, a storage means, and a computer software product for sharpening colours in an image, in which a first colour component is interpolated and sharpened in such a way that the effect of the colour component is computed in different directions, the highest and/or lowest value of the computed values is selected to represent the greatest and/or smallest change, after which the colour component is sharpened, if the ratio between the highest and lowest values falls within predetermined limit values. The second colour component is sharpened on the basis of the sharpening of said first colour component. After the sharpening, the second colour component is interpolated, wherein the result is a sharpened and interpolated three-colour image.

Abstract: A line buffer and a method of providing data to a 3×3 line interpolation processor using the line buffer in an image processing system, such as a digital camera, includes a readable and writable single memory, a buffer register having a prior data area storing first line image data, which has been stored in a memory, in a unit of 2m bits, and having a present data area storing second image data, which is inputted from an image sensor in a unit of m bits, in a unit of the 2m bits, and a memory controller providing the memory with a chip enable signal, a write enable signal, and an address indicating locations of the first and second line image data stored in the buffer register, reading and writing the first and second line image data from and on the memory, and outputting the first and second line image data and a third line image data, which is inputted from the image sensor.

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.

Abstract: A mathematical calculation method for an image-capturing device includes steps: estimating a green value of a red, blue pixel; calculating four differences between an estimated red value and four neighboring green pixels, weighing proportions of the four neighboring green pixels, and summing up the differences between the four products induced by multiplying the four differences and the four proportions respectively, as a green value G3? in the red pixel. A green value of a blue pixel will be obtained by mentioned steps. A blue value of the red pixel occurs when the following steps: figuring out differences between four green values and four blue values of four neighboring blue pixels, averaging the four differences, and subtracting the average of the four differences from the green value of the red pixel. A red value of the blue pixel and a red, blue value of the green pixel can be estimated, too.

Abstract: A frame memory device is employed in a digital camera, for example, to output raster-scanned digital color image signals at lower resolution than that of original image signals. The order of sequentially received original raster-scanned digital color image signals is rearranged, and the rearranged signals are sequentially stored in a memory having a two-dimensional address structure such that vertical addresses represent the order of entry of respective scan lines that constitute the image signals and horizontal addresses represent the order of entry of respective signals that belong to each of the scan lines. The stored rearranged signals are subsampled and read out while skipping horizontal and vertical addresses of the memory at regular intervals. The image signals may comprise YCBCR color signals having a sampling ratio of 4:2:2. Sequentially received C signals in the order of CB?CR?CB?CR, for example, are rearranged in the order of CB?CB?CR?CR.

Abstract: All electric charges accumulated in a line sensor are transferred via a first shift gate to a first analog shift register. By controlling the width of a shift pulse signal to be supplied to a second shift gate, the amount of an electric charge transfer when the electric charges on the first analog shift register are transferred to a second shift register is controlled. As a result, the amount of the electric charges on the first analog shift register is controlled to a desired value. Accordingly, the amplitude of an image signal outputted from the first analog shift register can be easily adjusted. Further, the sensitivity of a CCD line sensor and variation of light amount of a light source can be corrected.

Abstract: There are provided a method for driving a solid-state image pickup apparatus, a solid-state image pickup device and a camera which enables fast operation and makes applicable of the conventional algorithm in signal processings by reducing the number of samples in the horizontal and vertical directions. Three or more odd number pixels in the solid-state image pickup device (1) are made one block, signal charges of predetermined pixels being thinned out to be transferred to transfer registers (4, 7), resulting signal charges being added within the transfer registers (4, 7) so that the center of gravity of pixels (pixel center) may coincide with a pixel at the center of one block and resulting mixed charge being transferred. Three transfer electrodes (CR1, CR2, CR3) are provided per one column of the vertical register (4) in a part of the vertical register on the side of horizontal register (7).

Abstract: A color sensor for measuring light from a light source and the method for fabricating the color sensor. The color sensor includes a plurality of photodetectors, a plurality of primary color filters and a trim filter. Each primary color filter includes a layer of material between the light source and a corresponding one of the photodetectors. Each primary color filter preferentially transmits light in a corresponding band of wavelengths about a characteristic wavelength. The trim filter is located between the light source and the photodetectors and includes a layer of material that preferentially attenuates light at a first trim wavelength between two of the characteristic wavelengths. In one embodiment, the trim filter further preferentially attenuates light at a second trim wavelength, the first wavelength being less than one of the characteristic wavelengths and the second wavelength being greater than that characteristic wavelength.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an image signal processor, comprising a receiver, a mixing block, and an adjustment block, is provided. The receiver receives first, second, and third color pixel signals which an imaging device outputs. The mixing block generates first, second, and third color mixed pixel signals. The first, second, and third color mixed pixel signals are generated by mixing the first, second, and third color pixel signals generated by all the first, second, and third color pixels occupying a space of which the area is a second predetermined area whose the center is in agreement with the center of the first, second, and third color mixed pixel areas, respectively. The adjustment block adjusts the signal levels of the first, second, and third color mixed pixel signals based on first, second, and third pixel numbers.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor for a solid-state image pickup apparatus includes photosensitive cells each having a photosensitive area divided into a main region and a subregion. The subregion is extended to include the position of a virtual pixel. A light-screening layer is formed with optical openings corresponding to the main and subregions, so that light is incident not only to the main region or actual pixel but also to the subregion at the position of the virtual pixel. Spatial information is therefore available even at the position of the virtual pixel in the form of a signal charge.

Abstract: A method for processing analog color signals includes analog preprocessing sensor output signals to obtain analog preprocessed signals that cause a reduced amount of digital quantizatlon errors; converting the analog preprocessed signals into digital signals; reconstructing a first basic color signal, a second basic color signal, and a third basic color signal from the digital signals, and correcting the basic color signals, in which a three color signal matrix containing the first, second and third basic color signals is multiplied by a correction matrix containing coefficients that depend on the analog preprocessing. The analog preprocessing may include a white balance adjustment or the horizontal sum values of the correction matrix are adjusted to one for horizontal sum values larger than one, with the analog preprocessing comprising a corresponding multiplication in the analog preprocessing.

Abstract: This invention has as its object to provide an image sensing apparatus which can satisfactorily correct misregistration among images, and can composite the images. To achieve this object, an image sensing apparatus includes: a plurality of apertures that receives external light from different positions; a plurality of image sensing units that outputs image signals obtained by independently receiving light that comes from an identical position of an object and is received via the plurality of apertures, and independently extracting predetermined color components for each received light; and a signal processing device that forms a signal that outputs an object image by mixing the image signals output from the plurality of image sensing units.

Abstract: The apparatus and method invented are operating upon a digital image signal obtained from an image sensor. The sensor is covered with different colored filters and is only able to record the color transmitted through each specific filter into the photosite or pixel. This type of sensor is known as a color filter array or CFA sensor. The different colored filters are arranged in a predefined pattern across the sensor. To obtain a full color image the missing color information is estimated by a set of weighed values obtained by an inverted gradient function. The set of weighted values is found from the neighboring pixels in the four compass directions, north, east, west and south or is found horizontally and vertically. The surrounding pixels are corrected by the chrominance channel to better fit the center pixel in the luminance channel, prior to using the gradient functions.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus for outputting image signals by photoelectrically converting an image formed at an optical system by an image sensor array having a color filter array having several spectral transmittance disposed in front thereof, including: mode setting means capable of setting at least one mode among an all-pixel read mode for effecting readout of all the pixels of at least one horizontal line, an intermittent read mode for effecting readout in a thinned-out manner of pixels to be read out from at least one horizontal line, and an averaging read mode for effecting readout by averaging a plurality of pixels as the mode for reading out image signals from the image sensor array; and readout rule control means for controlling and determining pixel locations for reading out the image signals: when the intermittent read mode and/or the averaging read mode have been set by the mode setting means, the readout pixel locations to be determined by the readout rule control means are caused to vary frame by frame

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device having a plurality of pixel circuits, a read transistor, a main electrode of which is connected to a charge accumulation node of a photoelectric conversion unit in each pixel circuit is operated in a pentode region, so as to read out a photoelectric conversion signal of each diode to a floating diffusion.

Abstract: An adaptive white defect correction method and an image-pickup apparatus implementing the method. Pixel data on lines located above and below a white defect pixel are judged according to a predetermined algorithm to determine which of a plurality of previously supposed kinds of pattern most resembles an image obtained near a white defect pixel. On the basis of a result of the determination, suitable interpolation data is generated. As for the determination of the image pattern, a pair of two pixels are selected from pixels on the lines located above and below the white defect pixel, and processing of determining whether there is correlation between pixel values of the selected pixels is repetitively executed until a image pattern near the white defect pixel is determined.

Abstract: A method of converting from a sub-sampled color image in a first color space format to a full color image in a second color space format includes the following. A sub-sampled color image in a first color space format is transformed to a second color space format. At least one color plane of the transformed image is upscaled, the one color plane corresponding to one of the color space dimensions of the second color space format, to provide the full color image in the second color space format. Of course, many other embodiments other than the preceding embodiment are also within the scope of the present invention.

Abstract: An imaging device includes at least three color filters, including first to third color filters having respectively different filtering characteristics; at least three lens systems, including first to third lens systems respectively associated with the first to third color filters; and a photodetection section. The photodetection section includes a first photodetector for receiving light transmitted through the first color filter and the first lens system, a second photodetector for receiving light transmitted through the second color filter and the second lens system, and a third photodetector for receiving light transmitted through the third color filter and the third lens system. Each of the first to third photodetectors has a two-dimensional array of photodetection cells such that centers of the photodetection cells are positioned at apices of triangles sharing respective sides with one another, where none of three corner angles of each triangle is equal to 90°.

Abstract: There are photographing scenes which are difficult, for a conventional image pickup apparatus having a solid state image pickup device with primary color filters, to correctly judge whether an illumination light source is the sun or a fluorescent lamp. The solid image pickup device of an image pickup apparatus uses two types of red or green pixels having different spectral sensitivities. The type of a light source can be judged by using signals from the two types of the pixels.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus and image pickup method, an image pickup area where a plurality of pixels each having at least first and second photoelectric conversion sections are arranged in a depth direction is used to pick up an object image, signals from the first and second photoelectric conversion sections are obtained in case that the image pickup area is light-shielded, and differential processing between a signal obtained in the first photoelectric conversion section in case that the image pickup area is light-shielded and a signal obtained in the first photoelectric conversion section by picking up an object image in the image pickup area, and differential processing between a signal obtained in the second photoelectric conversion section in case that the image pickup area is light-shielded and a signal obtained in the second photoelectric conversion section by picking up an object image in the image pickup area are performed, so that correction of image pickup signals is performed.

Abstract: A light-receiving device comprises, on a substrate, a first light-receiving part for detecting light of a first wavelength range, and a second light-receiving part for detecting light of a second wavelength range. At least a part of incident light is transmitted through the first light-receiving part and then received by the second light-receiving part. The central wavelength of the first wavelength range is longer than the central wavelength of the second wavelength range, and the first light-receiving part is composed of an organic semiconductor having an absorption spectral maximum in the first wavelength range.

Abstract: A signal processing device for a sensor output signal from a sensor covered by a color mask pattern having a plurality of colors, the signal processing device comprising a reconstruction unit (5) for generating a plurality of color signal values (R, G, B) for each pixel from the sensor output signal; and a clipping device (8) for clipping the sensor output signal or the plurality of color signal values (R, G, B). Preferably, the signal processing device further comprises: a conversion unit (6) for generating luminance signals (Y) and chrominance signals (U, V) from the plurality of color signal values (R, G, B), and an adjustment unit (10) for selectively setting the chrominance signals (U, V) to a zero color difference when clipping is performed (8).

Abstract: An image processor arranged in operation to generate an interpolated video signal from a received video signal representative of an image. The image processor comprises an adaptable register store comprising a plurality of register elements and is coupled to a control processor which is operable to receive the video signal and to provide pixels of the received video signal, under control of the control processor to an interpolator, selected regester elements being connected to the interpolator to provide the pixels of the received video signal for interpolation, each of the register elements being arranged to store a pixel of the received video signal and each is connected to a plurality of other register elements and is configurable under control of the control processor to feed the pixel stored in the register element to one of the plurality of other register elements in accordance with a temporal reference and the interpolator being coupled to the adaptable register store.

Abstract: An image pick-up apparatus includes a plurality of pixels, each of which includes a photoelectrically converting area for converting an optical signal from a subject into an electronic signal. A plurality of first pixels included in the plurality of pixels have a first transmittance as a light transmittance to the photoelectrically converting area, and a plurality of second pixels included in the plurality of pixels have a second transmittance as a light transmittance to the photoelectrically converting area. The second transmittance is higher than the first transmittance, and a light receiving area for receiving light of each of the plurality of first pixels is larger than a light receiving area for receiving light of each pixel of the plurality of second pixels.

Abstract: Provide an electronic still camera using a color filter array (CFA) and a single CCD making it possible to simultaneously execute the processing for color signal interpolation and the processing for resizing. In the electronic still camera according to the present invention, an R signal, a G signal, and a B signal are output from each pixel of an image sensor 12 having a CFA. A processor 16 simultaneously executes processing for interpolation and processing for resizing by computing (R, G, B) values at a given pixel position according to the color signals. Low frequency components Rlow, Glow, Blow of the color signal at the given pixel position are computed from signals from adjoining pixels, and the high frequency component Shigh is computed from a brightness value Y. The image data interpolated and changed to a desired size is stored in a memory 18, or is output via an interface I/F 20 to an external device such as a computer or a printer.

Abstract: A processing method of image compensation for digital camera, after the signal of a digital image is sensed by a proper charged coupled device (CCD ), a color filter array displays this digital image in a sequence by array pattern according to the signal strength of basic color components. The color component compensation can be completed in coordination with the signal composition of the color components that are adjacent to a pixel needed to do color component compensation; enabling digital camera can completely and truly display the captured image picture.

Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus including a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a horizontal and a vertical direction and which generate charges corresponding to optical signals, in which a color filter arrangement of a first order are arranged in horizontal pixel rows of odd numbers and a color filter arrangement of a second order are arranged in horizontal pixel rows of even numbers; and a drive circuit having a first mode for reading out pixel data of 2k+1 fields (k is a natural number) by an interlace operation from the plurality of pixels, a second mode for reading out pixel data of one field among the 2k+1 fields from the plurality of pixels, and a third mode for reading out images of a plurality of fields, the number of which is smaller than the of the 2k+1 fields, among the 2k+1 fields from the plurality of pixels.

Abstract: A system of reducing power consumption in and active pixels sensor. The sensor is broken into different blocks, and each of the blocks is individually optimized. The optimization may include minimizing the parasitic capacitance on the readout bus, turning off biases when not in use, and operating in a way that minimizes static power consumption of different elements such as A/D converters.

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: A method and system for automatic bad pixel correction in image sensors is provided. The process includes identifying outlier pixels, identifying bad pixels, and performing bad pixel correction. Bad pixels are identified by comparing pixels in a single row or more than one row. A bad pixel value is replaced by a pixel value that depends on the pixel value of non-bad pixels located next to the bad pixel. The system includes means for identifying outlier pixels, means for identifying bad pixels, and means for performing bad pixel correction.

Abstract: A method for operating a data processing system to generate a second image from a first image. The first image includes a two dimensional array of pixel values, each pixel value corresponding to the light intensity in one of a plurality of spectral bands at a location in the first image. The method utilizes a linear transformation of a vector derived from super input pixels to obtain a vector that includes at least one super output pixel. The super input pixels are defined by separating the pixels of the first image into a plurality of input image planes having identical numbers of pixels corresponding to the same spectral band. Each super input pixel is a vector of dimension P, where P is the number of the input image planes. Similarly, a set of output image planes is defined, each pixel in a given output image plane representing the intensity of the second image in one of a plurality of spectral bands at a corresponding point in the second image.

Abstract: Methods of detecting relative misalignment between a color filter array and a sensor array in a color sensor array. The present invention provides methods for detecting and compensating for shifts of one or more rows and/or columns between a color filter array and a sensor array that may occur during the color sensor array fabrication process. The present invention also enables the use of color sensor arrays in which the alignment of a color filter array relative to the corresponding sensor array is unknown. In one embodiment, a detectable pattern of one or more pixels (e.g., pixels having black filters) is introduced into the periphery of the color sensor array. The position of the pattern is detected and color image data are processed with respect to the detected position. The invention is very cost effective and enables the use of image sensors with misaligned color filter arrays just as if they were manufactured correctly.

Abstract: To provide a solid-state imaging device driving method, a solid-state imaging device and a camera in which the solid-state imaging device is able to operate at a high speed without a change of an angle of view and without a mixture of colors in a color solid-state imaging device by reducing an amount of data in the horizontal direction to ½. In a solid-state imaging device of a two-dimensional arrangement having a pixel comprising a light-receiving accumulation unit, a vertical register or a vertical register having a light-receiving function and a horizontal register, signal electric charges of pixels distant from each other on one row are transferred to the horizontal register, these signal electric charges are mixed within the horizontal register, and the mixed signal electric charge is transferred in the horizontal direction.

Abstract: An image-capturing element comprises: a plurality of pixels provided in a matrix each of which has a photoelectric conversion element; a plurality of color filters each of which is provided at one of the plurality of pixels; and a read out circuit that adds together electrical charges of pixels within every specific range among the plurality of pixels and enables a sequential read out of added electrical charges.

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: An image pickup apparatus comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, first color filters arranged in an oblique direction for the pixels, second and third color filters arranged so that a same color is arranged in a horizontal direction, a circuit for adding together signals of two or more pixels each having the first color filter, which are adjacent to each other in an oblique direction, and a circuit for adding together the signals of two or more pixels each having the second color filter, which are arranged in a horizontal direction, and for adding together the signals of two or more pixels each having the third color filter, which are arranged in the horizontal direction.