Image data generating device and light receiving device
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsYoshihide Tachino, Ryouichi Sugawara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image data generating device has a photoelectric sensor including an array of pixel generating units, each of which has one photoelectric conversion element and one floating diffusion. The photoelectric sensor includes a matrix of pixel sets, each of which includes a matrix of pixel generating units on two rows and two columns. To generate plane image data, the image data generating device finds a pixel value on a pixel basis from an output value for each pixel generating unit. To generate distance image data, the image data generating device finds a distance to a subject for each pixel set from an output value for each pixel generating unit belonging to the pixel set and calculates a pixel value per pixel set.
Claims20
An image data generating device comprising:
- a light emitting device configured to emit light;
- a light receiving device configured to receive incident light including the emitted light, which is reflected on a subject;
- a distance image data generation unit configured to find a distance to the subject by controlling the light emitting device and the light receiving device and generate distance image data representing the distance;
- a plane image data generation unit configured to control the light receiving device and generate plane image data representing a plane image of the subject;
- and
- an operation control unit configured to selectively operate the distance image data generation unit and the plane image data generation unit,
- wherein:
- the light receiving device includes an array of a plurality of pixel generating units, each of the pixel generating units including
- a single photoelectric conversion section for converting incident light into a charge and
- a single pixel output section corresponding one-to-one with the photoelectric conversion section,
- the pixel output section having a floating diffusion for accumulating a charge generated by the photoelectric conversion section,
- the pixel output section being (i) for discharging and discarding the generated charge in accordance with a discharge instruction signal supplied from an outside, (ii) for transferring the generated charge to the floating diffusion in accordance with a charge transfer instruction signal supplied from the outside, and (iii) for outputting a value equivalent to a charge accumulated in the floating diffusion;
- the distance image data generation unit further configured (i) to group the plurality of pixel generating units into multiple first sets of pixel generating units, (ii) to calculate a distance to the subject with respect to each first set of pixel generating units based on output values for the pixel generating units included in the each first set, and (iii) to represent a value corresponding to the calculated distance as a pixel value for a coordinate corresponding to the each first set of pixel generating units and generate the distance image data;
- and
- the plane image data generation unit further configured to describe a value corresponding to an output value for each of the pixel generating units as a pixel value for a coordinate corresponding to the each of the pixel generating units and generate the image data representing a plane image of the subject.
A light receiving device including an array of a plurality of pixel generating units, each of the pixel generating units comprising:
- a single photoelectric conversion section for converting incident light into a charge;
- and
- a single pixel output section corresponding one-to-one with the photoelectric conversion section,
- the pixel output section having a floating diffusion for accumulating a charge generated by the photoelectric conversion section,
- the pixel output section being (i) for discharging and discarding the generated charge in accordance with a discharge instruction signal supplied from an outside, (ii) for transferring the generated charge to the floating diffusion in accordance with a charge transfer instruction signal supplied from the outside, and (iii) for outputting a value equivalent to a charge accumulated in the floating diffusion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.