Imaging unit and image sensor
AssigneeKonica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc.
InventorsToshihito KIDO, Jun Minakuti, Haruki Nakayama, Dai Shintani, Tsutomu Honda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is provided an imaging unit: including an image sensor with a number of pixels arranged in a matrix, the pixels having color pixels where color filters are disposed, and white pixels where the color filters are not disposed; a sampling circuit section for sampling pixel signals generated in the image sensor; and a main controller for controlling the image sensor and/or the sampling circuit section to sample the pixel signals generated in the white pixels or the pixel signals generated in the color pixels sequentially in a time-series manner.
Claims11
1-6. (canceled)
An imaging unit comprising:
- an image sensor including a number pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix,
- each of the pixels being adapted to photoelectrically convert light from an object to generate image data,
- the pixels including white pixels where luminance filters are disposed on a part of the pixels, and color pixels where color filters are disposed on the pixels other than the white pixels;
- and
- an exposure time controller for controlling an exposure time for the white pixels and an exposure time for the color pixels individually.
-17. (canceled)
An image sensor comprising:
- a number of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, each of the pixels being adapted to photoelectrically convert light from an object to generate a signal charge, the pixels including white pixels where luminance filters are disposed on a part of the pixels, and color pixels where color filters are disposed on the pixels other than the white pixels;
- white pixel drivers, provided adjacent the white pixels, for controllably reading out the signal charges generated in the white pixels;
- and
- color pixel drivers, provided adjacent the color pixels, for controllably reading out the signal charges generated in the color pixels, wherein
- each of the white pixel drivers has a saturation amount of the signal charge larger than a saturation amount of the signal charge of each of the color pixel drivers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.