# US 12,114,069 B2 · Image sensor having pupil-division fuction configured to output phase-difference signals in horizontal and vertical directions from different pixel groups and image capturing apparatus

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- Number: US 12,114,069 B2
- Document ID: US12114069B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/063,195
- Filed: 2022-12-08
- Published: 2023-06-15
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2021-12-15
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Daiki Yamamoto; Tomonaga Iwahara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114069B2

## CPC

- H04N 23/672: {based on the phase difference signals}
- H04N 25/134: {based on three different wavelength filter elements}
- H04N 25/704: Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets
- H04N 25/767: Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
- H04N 25/78: Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An image sensor comprises a pixel array in which pixels are arranged in a matrix form, and phase-difference signals in a horizontal direction are output from a first pixel group of the pixel array via a first signal output line, and phase-difference signals in a vertical direction are output from a second pixel group, which is different from the first pixel group of the pixel array, via a second signal output line, and number of pixels of the phase-difference signals in the horizontal direction output via the first signal output line and number of pixels of the phase-difference signals in the vertical direction output via the second signal output line are different.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image sensor comprising a pixel array in which pixels are arranged in a matrix form, wherein
phase-difference signals in a horizontal direction are output from a first pixel group of the pixel array via a first signal output line, and phase-difference signals in a vertical direction are output from a second pixel group, which is different from the first pixel group of the pixel array, via a second signal output line, and
number of pixels of the phase-difference signals in the horizontal direction output via the first signal output line and number of pixels of the phase-difference signals in the vertical direction output via the second signal output line are different,
wherein a plurality of column output lines including first column output lines and second column output lines are respectively arranged for each one column of the pixels, and the number of the second column output lines is larger than the number of the first column output lines.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein number of pixels in a column direction of the phase-difference signals in the horizontal direction and number of pixels in a column direction of the phase-difference signals in the vertical direction are different.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein number of pixels in a row direction of the phase-difference signals in the horizontal direction and number of pixels in a row direction of the phase-difference signals in the vertical direction are different.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein addition number of pixels of the phase-difference signals in the horizontal direction and addition number of pixels of the phase-difference signals in the vertical direction are different.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein an addition direction of pixels of the phase-difference signals in the horizontal direction and an addition direction of pixels of the phase-difference signals in the vertical direction are different.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The image sensor according to claim 1, further configured to output an image capturing signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

An image capturing apparatus comprising:
the image sensor according to claim 1; and
a control circuit configured to perform focus control of a lens based on the phase-difference signals in the horizontal direction or in the vertical direction output from the image sensor.

### Claim 8

An image sensor comprising a pixel array in which pixels are arranged in a matrix form, wherein
phase-difference signals in a horizontal direction are output from a first pixel group of the pixel array via a first signal output line, and phase-difference signals in a vertical direction are output from a second pixel group, which is different from the first pixel group of the pixel array, via a second signal output line, and
addition number of pixels of the phase-difference signals in the horizontal direction output via the first signal output line and addition number of pixels of the phase-difference signals in the vertical direction output via the second signal output line are different,
wherein a plurality of column output lines including first column output lines and second column output lines are respectively arranged for each one column of the pixels, and the number of the second column output lines is larger than the number of the first column output lines.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The image sensor according to claim 8, wherein addition number of pixels in a column direction of the phase-difference signals in the horizontal direction and addition number of pixels in a column direction of the phase-difference signals in the vertical direction are different.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The image sensor according to claim 8, wherein addition number of pixels in a row direction of the phase-difference signals in the horizontal direction and number of pixels in a row direction of the phase-difference signals in the vertical direction are different.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The image sensor according to claim 8, wherein an addition direction of pixels of the phase-difference signals in the horizontal direction and an addition direction of pixels of the phase-difference signals in the vertical direction are different.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The image sensor according to claim 8, further configured to output an image capturing signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

An image capturing apparatus comprising:
the image sensor according to claim 8; and
a control circuit configured to perform lens focus control, based on the phase-difference signals in the horizontal direction or in the vertical direction output from the image sensor.