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US 10,567,766 B2Granted
Image pickup apparatus, method of controlling imaging apparatus, program, and storage medium, using different compression processes for imaging and non-imaging pixel data
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHiroyasu Katagawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An imaging element includes a pixel unit configured to receive incident light and include a photoelectric conversion unit performing photoelectric conversion. The imaging element performs a compression process on a first signal which is an imaging signal output from the pixel unit. The imaging element performs a different process from the compression process on a second signal with a different use from the first signal output from the pixel unit so that the second signal does not deteriorate.
Claims14
An imaging element comprising:
- a plurality of pixels that receive incident light and includes a photoelectric convertor respectively performing photoelectric conversion of the incident light to generate a plurality of output signals;
- a compressor that performs a first compression process on a first signal and performs a second compression process, different from the first compression process, on a second signal, which is an output from a non-imaging pixel, so that the second signal does not deteriorate, the second signal being for a different use than the first signal, and not for the image output use, wherein said first signal is an addition signal of outputs from plurality of pixels among the pixels for which pupil regions of an optical imaging system are different;
- a controller that performs controls a parameter of at least one of the first compression process and the second compression process;
- and
- output pins that output-the first signal on which a decompression process is performed by an external decompressor for displaying and the second signal processed by the compressor to the outside of the imaging element via an output bus.
2 more elements
An image pickup apparatus comprising:
- an imaging element comprising:
- a plurality of pixels that receive incident light and includes a photoelectric convertor respectively performing photoelectric conversion of the incident light to generate a plurality of imaging signals;
- a compressor that performs a first compression process on a first signal which is an imaging signal output from the plurality of pixels and performs a second compression process, different from the first compression process, on a second signal, which is an output from a non-imaging pixel, so that the second signal does not deteriorate, the second signal being for a different use than the first signal, and not for the image output use;
- a controller that controls a parameter of at least one of the first compression process and the second compression process;
- and
- output pins that output the first signal on which a decompression process is performed by an external decompressor for displaying and the second signal processed by the compressor to the outside of the imaging element via an output bus;
- the image pickup apparatus further comprising:
- a refocus processor that generates a refocus signal for moving a focus surface virtually based on the first and second signals;
- and
- a lens driver that performs driving control on a focus lens such that a focus surface is shifted from a focus surface of a target subject by a predetermined distance for imaging.
7 more elements
A method for controlling an imaging element of an image pickup apparatus, the imaging element comprising a plurality of pixels that receive incident light and includes a photoelectric convertor respectively performing photoelectric conversion of the incident light to generate a plurality of imaging signals, the method comprising:
- performing a first compression process on a first signal that is the imaging signal output from the plurality of pixels and performing a second compression process, different from the first compression process, on a second signal, which is an output from a non-imaging pixel, so that the second signal does not deteriorate, the second signal being for a different use than the first signal, and not for the image output use;
- controlling a parameter of at least one of the first compression process and the second compression process;
- outputting the first signal on which a decompression process is performed by an external decompressor for displaying and the second signal processed in the process to the outside of the imaging element via an output bus;
- receiving by the external decompressor the first signal and the second signal via the bus, and decompressing the first signal and the second signal;
- and
- performing a compression process on the first signal again.
3 more elements
A non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program causing a computer to perform a method for controlling an imaging element of an image pickup apparatus, the imaging element comprising a plurality of pixels that receive incident light and includes a photoelectric convertor respectively performing photoelectric conversion of the incident light to generate a plurality of imaging signals, the method comprising:
- performing a first compression process on a first signal that is the imaging signal output from the plurality of pixels and performing a second compression process, different from the first compression process performed on the first signal, on a second signal, which is an output from a non-imaging pixel, so that the second signal does not deteriorate, the second signal being for a different use than the first signal, and not for the image output use;
- controlling a parameter of at least one of the first compression process and the second compression process;
- outputting the first signal on which a decompression process is performed by an external decompressor for displaying and the second signal processed in the process to the outside of the imaging element via an output bus;
- receiving by the external decompressor the first signal and the second signal via the bus, and decompressing the first signal and the second signal;
- and
- performing a compression process on the first signal again.
3 more elements
An image pickup apparatus comprising:
- an imaging element comprising:
- a plurality of pixels that receive incident light and includes a photoelectric convertor respectively performing photoelectric conversion of the incident light to generate a plurality of imaging signals;
- a compressor that performs a first compression process on a first signal which is an imaging signal output from the plurality of pixels and performs a second compression process, different from the first compression process, on a second signal, which is an output from a non-imaging pixel, so that the second signal does not deteriorate, the second signal being for a different use than the first signal, and not for the image output use;
- a controller that controls a parameter of at least one of the first compression process and the second compression process;
- and
- output pins that output the first signal on which a decompression process is performed by an external decompressor for displaying and the second signal processed by the compressor to the outside of the imaging element via an output bus;
- the image pickup apparatus further comprising:
- the external decompressor configured to receive the first signal and the second signal via the bus to decompress the first signal and the second signal;
- and
- an image processing circuit group that performs the compression process on the first signal again.
7 more elements
An image pickup apparatus comprising:
- an imaging element comprising:
- a plurality of pixels at receive incident light and includes a photoelectric convertor respectively performing photoelectric conversion of the incident light to generate a plurality of imaging signals;
- a compressor that performs a first compression process on a first signal which is an imaging signal output from the a first area of plurality of pixels and performs a second compression process, different from the first compression process, on a second signal output from a second area different from the first area of the plurality of pixels, the second signal being for a different use from the first signal, and not for the image output use;
- a controller that controls a parameter of the first compression process and the second compression process so that compression rate of the first compression process is higher than that of the second compression process;
- and
- output pins that output the first signal and the second signal on which a decompression process is performed by an eternal decompressor to the outside of the imaging element via an output bus;
- the image pickup apparatus further comprising:
- the external decompressor configured to receive the first signal and the second signal via the bus to decompress the first signal and the second signal;
- and
- an image processing circuit group that performs the compression process on the first signal again.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.