# US 10,313,600 B2 · Imaging device capable of simultaneously capturing of a motion image and a static image and imaging method

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- Number: US 10,313,600 B2
- Document ID: US10313600B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/283,936
- Filed: 2016-10-03
- Published: 2017-04-13
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-13
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Masafumi Kimura; Koichi Washisu; Yasuo Suda; Akihiko Nagano; Fumihiro Kajimura; Go Naito; Ryo Yamasaki; Makoto Oikawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10313600B2

## CPC

- H04N 23/72: Combination of two or more compensation controls
- H04N 23/684: {performed by controlling the image sensor readout, e.g. by controlling the integration time}
- H04N 23/741: by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
- H04N 25/585: with pixels having different sensitivities within the sensor, e.g. fast or slow pixels or pixels having different sizes
- H04N 25/78: Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
- H10F 39/18: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors
- H10F 39/8067: {Reflectors}
- H10F 39/8053: {Colour filters}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION

## Abstract

Provided is an imaging device including an imaging element having a first photoelectric conversion unit and a second photoelectric conversion unit, in which a light-receiving efficiency of the second photoelectric conversion unit is lower than a light-receiving efficiency of the first photoelectric conversion unit; an optics that guides a light flux from an object to the imaging element; and a control unit that selects a combination of the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit used for a motion image capturing and a static image capturing in accordance with a brightness of the object.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An imaging device comprising:
an imaging sensor having a photoelectric converter that photoelectrically converts a light flux from an object and accumulates generated charges and a first capacitor and a second capacitor that hold the charges transferred from the photoelectric converter;
an optics that guides the light flux from the object to the imaging sensor; and
a controller that reads out a pixel signal that is based on an amount of charges held in one of the first capacitor and the second capacitor, and that transfers the charges to the other of the first capacitor and the second capacitor and holds the charges,
wherein the controller sets capturing conditions including accumulation periods for a motion image capturing and a static image capturing, and
wherein the controller selects a combination of the first capacitor and the second capacitor used for a motion image capturing and a static image capturing in accordance with the capturing conditions and a brightness of the object.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1,
wherein the imaging sensor further has an overflow transistor that drains the charges accumulated in the photoelectric converter, and
wherein, while the controller controls the overflow transistor to control an accumulation period for a motion image capturing and an accumulation period for a static image capturing in the photoelectric converter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the controller stores image data obtained by a static image capturing and image data obtained by a motion image capturing separately in a storage medium.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein,
when both the first capacitor and the second capacitor are used, the controller corrects a gain of a signal from the first capacitor or the second capacitor in accordance with the brightness of the object, a light-receiving efficiency of the first capacitor, and a light-receiving efficiency of the second capacitor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein, when only one of the first capacitor and the second capacitor is used, the controller captures a motion image at a timing of a static image capturing with an accumulation period of a static image capturing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts an accumulation period of a motion image capturing in accordance with a magnitude of a motion of the object.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein, in a capturing condition priority mode that prioritizes the capturing conditions, the controller selects a combination of the first capacitor and the second capacitor used for a motion image capturing and a static image capturing with the capturing conditions being maintained unchanged.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the controller prioritizes one of the accumulation period of the motion image capturing and the accumulation period of the static image capturing to the other to select a combination of the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second capacitor used for the motion image capturing and the static image capturing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the controller prioritizes one of an optimization of exposure of the motion image capturing and an optimization of exposure of the static image capturing to the other to select a combination of the first capacitor and the second capacitor used for the motion image capturing and the static image capturing.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the controller selects, from the first capacitor or the second capacitor, a capacitor which detects the brightness of the object in accordance with the brightness of the object.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the controller switches the first capacitor to or from the second capacitor by increasing, at a predefined time constant, a ratio of images captured by using the switched capacitor.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein the controller switches the first capacitor to or from the second capacitor by increasing, at a predefined time constant, a ratio of frames captured by using the switched capacitor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein the controller switches the first capacitor to or from the second capacitor by expanding, at a predefined time constant, a frame pixel area captured by using the switched capacitor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The imaging device according to claim 13, wherein the controller determines a start point and a direction of a switching pixel area in accordance with a motion of the object.

### Claim 15

A controlling method of an imaging device comprising: an imaging sensor having a photoelectric converter that photoelectrically converts a light flux from an object and accumulates generated charges and a first capacitor and a second capacitor that hold the charges transferred from the photoelectric converter; and an optics that guides the light flux from the object to the imaging sensor, the method comprising:
reading out a pixel signal that is based on an amount of charges held in one of the first capacitor and the second capacitor,
transferring the charges to the other of the first capacitor and the second capacitor and holds the charges,
setting a capturing conditions including accumulation periods for a motion image capturing and a static image capturing, and
selecting a combination of the first capacitor and the second capacitor used for a motion image capturing and a static image capturing in accordance with the capturing conditions and a brightness of the object.