# US 2010/0165176 A1 · Image sensing apparatus

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- Number: US 2010/0165176 A1
- Document ID: US20100165176A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/664,529
- Filed: 2008-07-24
- Published: 2010-07-01
- Earliest claimed: 2007-08-06
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Hidenori Taniguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100165176A1

## CPC

- G03B 13/36: Autofocus systems
- G02B 7/34: using different areas in a pupil plane
- H04N 23/667: Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
- H04N 23/672: {based on the phase difference signals}
- H04N 25/134: {based on three different wavelength filter elements}
- H04N 25/445: by skipping some contiguous pixels within the read portion of the array
- H04N 25/447: by preserving the colour pattern with or without loss of information
- H04N 25/704: Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An image sensing apparatus comprises an image sensor having a pair of focus detection pixel groups and a plurality of image sensing pixels, and a control unit that, in a thinning readout mode that reads out signal charges from a portion of pixels disposed within a part of pixels of the image sensor, controls so that at least the pair of focus detection pixel groups are included in the part of the pixels from which signal charges are read out.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image sensing apparatus comprising:
an image sensor having a pair of focus detection pixel groups and a plurality of image sensing pixels; and
a control unit that, in a thinning readout mode that reads out signal charges from a portion of pixels disposed within a part of pixels of the image sensor, controls so that at least the pair of focus detection pixel groups are included in the part of the pixels from which signal charges are read out.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the image sensor includes the pair of focus detection pixel groups pupil-divided in a first direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and
wherein the control unit controls to read at least signal charges from the pair of focus detection pixel groups pupil-divided in the first direction and those pupil-divided in the second direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the image sensor further includes, in addition to the focus detection pixel group, another focus detection pixel group, and
wherein the control unit controls so that, when digital zoom is specified, signal charges of all pixels disposed within a predetermined area of the image sensor that is an enlarged area are read out and, in addition to the focus detection pixels disposed within the predetermined area, signal charges from the other focus detection pixel group are read out.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit calculates the defocus amount based on the signal charges read out from the pupil-divided pair of focus detection pixel groups.