Stereo camera apparatus and method for generating a parallax image from low sensitivity and high sensitivity sub-pixel array

A stereo camera imaging method, the method using at least a first camera and a second camera of a stereo camera, each first and second camera including a register and unit pixels, each unit pixel including a plurality of types of sub-pixels having different output characteristics for an exposure amount,

• the plurality of types of sub-pixels including a high sensitivity sub-pixel that outputs a first output value for a certain exposure amount, and a low sensitivity sub-pixel that outputs a second output value lower than the first output value for the certain exposure amount,
• the method comprising, for each of the first camera and the second camera:
• determining one of outputs from the high sensitivity sub-pixel and the low sensitivity sub-pixel as an output of the unit pixel for the certain exposure amount while switching between the output from the high sensitivity sub-pixel and the output from the low sensitivity sub-pixel before and after a predetermined exposure value,
• storing, in the register, gain information to use for amplifying at least one of the outputs so that a sensitivity characteristic of the amplified output of the first camera matches a sensitivity characteristic of the amplified output of the second camera, and
• composing an image signal from the high sensitivity sub-pixel and an image signal from the low sensitivity sub-pixel by amplifying at least a portion of the image signal based on the gain information stored in the register to allow the image signals from the high sensitivity sub-pixel and the low sensitivity sub-pixel to be the same between the first camera and the second camera at the predetermined exposure value,
• wherein the predetermined exposure value is identical between the first camera and the second camera.