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US 2006/0133790 A1Published application
Image sensor, focal point detection device and camera
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorsMasamitsu Ozawa, Shigeyuki Uchiyama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image sensor includes: three or more photoelectric conversion devices; and a storage control circuit that controls storage operations at the photoelectric conversion devices, and the storage control circuit commonly controls the storage operations at two or more photoelectric conversion devices that are not disposed directly next to one another among the photoelectric conversion devices.
Claims21
An image sensor comprising:
- three or more photoelectric conversion devices;
- and
- a storage control circuit that controls storage operations at the photoelectric conversion devices, wherein:
- the storage control circuit commonly controls the storage operations at two or more photoelectric conversion devices that are not disposed directly next to one another among the photoelectric conversion devices.
1 more element
A focal point detection device comprising:
- a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices each used in correspondence to one of at least three focal point detection areas;
- a storage control circuit that controls storage operations at the photoelectric conversion devices;
- and
- a focal point detection circuit that detects states of focal adjustment achieved for the focal point detection areas based upon outputs from the photoelectric conversion devices, wherein:
- the storage control circuit commonly controls storage operations at the photoelectric conversion devices corresponding to two or more focal point detection areas that are not set directly next to one another among the focal point detection areas.
2 more elements
A camera comprising:
- a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices that execute photoelectric conversion of subject light fluxes each corresponding to one of three or more focal point detection areas set in a photographic field image plane achieved with a photographic optical system;
- and
- a storage control circuit that commonly controls storage operations at photoelectric conversion devices corresponding to two or more focal point detection areas that are not set directly next to one another among the focal point detection areas.
A method for controlling electrical charges at an image sensor, comprising:
- utilizing three or more photoelectric conversion devices;
- and
- commonly controlling storage operations at two or more photoelectric conversion devices that are not set directly next to each other among the photoelectric conversion devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.