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US 11,778,333 B2Granted
Signal processing method and imaging apparatus
AssigneeSony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
InventorTakuma Nagata
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion element, and disposed in matrix on a light-receiving surface; a plurality of light-receiving lenses provided one by one for each of the plurality of pixels in the plurality of pixels; and a control section that controls exposure times of the plurality of pixels. The control section controls the exposure times of the plurality of pixels to allow exposure times of at least two of the pixels, of the plurality of pixels corresponding to each of the light-receiving lenses, to be the same, and exposure times of at least two of the pixels, of the plurality of pixels corresponding to each of the light-receiving lenses, to be different from each other.
Claims15
An imaging apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of pixels, wherein
- each pixel of the plurality of pixels includes a photoelectric conversion element,
- the plurality of pixels is in a matrix on a light-receiving surface,
- the plurality of pixels corresponds to a plurality of pixel groups,
- the plurality of pixel groups includes a plurality of first pixel groups, a plurality of second pixel groups, and a third pixel group,
- each pixel group of the plurality of first pixel groups includes pixels of the plurality of pixels in two rows×two columns arrangement,
- each pixel group of the plurality of second pixel groups includes pixel groups from the plurality of first pixel groups in two rows×two columns arrangement,
- the third pixel group includes the plurality of second pixel groups in two rows×two columns arrangement,
- the plurality of second pixel groups in the third pixel group includes:
- a first group that includes a first set of two pixels in a first direction;
- a second group that includes a second set of two pixels in a second direction;
- and
- a third group that includes a third set of two pixels in a third direction,
- the third direction is different from each of the first direction and the second direction, and
- the first direction is different from the second direction;
- a plurality of light-receiving lenses, wherein each of the plurality of light-receiving lenses is associated with a corresponding pixel group of the plurality of first pixel groups;
- and
- a control section configured to control an exposure time associated with each of the plurality of pixels, wherein
- the exposure time for the first set of two pixels in the first direction in the first group is same,
- the exposure time for the second set of two pixels in the second direction in the second group is same,
- the exposure time for the third set of two pixels in the third direction in the third group is same,
- the exposure time of the third set of two pixels is different from each of:
- the exposure time of the first set of two pixels, and
- the exposure time of the second set of two pixels, and
- the exposure time of the second set of two pixels is different from the exposure time of the first set of two pixels.
22 more elements
A signal processing method, comprising:
- in an imaging apparatus that includes a plurality of pixels and a plurality of light-receiving lenses, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a photoelectric conversion element and each of the plurality of light-receiving lenses is associated with a corresponding pixel group of a plurality of first pixel groups of a plurality of pixel groups of the plurality of pixels:
- controlling an exposure time associated with each of the plurality of pixels, wherein
- the plurality of pixel groups includes the plurality of first pixel groups, a plurality of second pixel groups, and a third pixel group,
- each pixel group of the plurality of first pixel groups includes pixels of the plurality of pixels in two rows×two columns arrangement,
- each pixel group of the plurality of second pixel groups includes pixel groups from the plurality of first pixel groups in two rows×two columns arrangement,
- the third pixel group includes the plurality of second pixel groups in two rows×two columns arrangement,
- the plurality of second pixel groups in the third pixel group includes:
- a first group that includes a first set of two pixels in a first direction;
- a second group that includes a second set of two pixels in a second direction;
- and
- a third group that includes a third set of two pixels in a third direction,
- the third direction is different from each of the first direction and the second direction,
- the first direction is different from the second direction,
- the exposure time for the first set of two pixels in the first direction in the first group is same,
- the exposure time for the second set of two pixels in the second direction in the second group is same,
- the exposure time for the third set of two pixels in the third direction in the third group is same,
- the exposure time of the third set of two pixels is different from each of:
- the exposure time of the first set of two pixels, and
- the exposure time of the second set of two pixels, and
- the exposure time of the second set of two pixels is different from the exposure time of the first set of two pixels;
- generating phase difference data for each of the exposure time of the first set of two pixels, the exposure time of the second set of two pixels, and the exposure time of the third set of two pixels, based on image data, wherein the image data is based on the controlled exposure time associated with each of the plurality of pixels;
- and
- generating a High Dynamic Range image based on the generated phase difference data.
20 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.