Imaging apparatus, imaging system, method for driving imaging apparatus, and method for driving imaging system
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYasuji Ikeda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is an imaging apparatus that generates a signal based on the sum of signals output by a plurality of pixels, and a signal based on the difference between the signals output by the plurality of signals, and performs AD conversion on the generated signals.
Claims21
An imaging apparatus comprising:
- a first and a second pixel each including a photoelectric conversion unit to generate signal charge based on incident light, the first and the second pixel configured to output a first and a second photoelectric conversion signal respectively;
- a circuit configured to generate a first signal based on a sum of the first and the second photoelectric conversion signal, and a second signal based on a difference between the first and the second photoelectric conversion signal, respectively;
- and
- an AD conversion unit configured to convert the first and the second signal respectively into digital signals.
A method for driving an imaging apparatus including a first and a second pixel each having a photoelectric conversion unit to generate signal charge based on incident light, a circuit unit, and an AD conversion unit, the method comprising:
- outputting, by each of the first and the second pixel, a first and a second photoelectric conversion signal to the circuit unit by the photoelectric conversion units of the first and the second pixel being exposed to light at the same exposure end timing;
- generating, by the circuit unit, a first signal based on a sum of the first and the second photoelectric conversion signal, and a second signal based on a difference between the first and the second photoelectric conversion signal, respectively;
- and
- converting the first and the second signal respectively into digital signals by the AD conversion unit.
A method for driving an imaging system including an imaging apparatus and an output signal processing unit,
- the imaging apparatus including:
- a first pixel and a second pixel, the first and the second pixel each having a photoelectric conversion unit to generate signal charge based on incident light;
- one microlens configured to concentrate light on the first and the second pixel;
- a circuit unit;
- and an AD conversion unit,
- the method comprising:
- outputting, by each of the first and the second pixel, a first and a second photoelectric conversion signal to the circuit unit by the photoelectric conversion units of the first and the second pixel being exposed to light at the same exposure end timing;
- generating, by the circuit unit, a first signal based on a sum of the first and the second photoelectric conversion signal, and a second signal based on a difference between the first and the second photoelectric conversion signal, respectively;
- converting the first and the second signal respectively into digital signals by the AD conversion unit;
- outputting the digital signal based on the first signal and the digital signal based on the second signal respectively to the output signal processing unit by the imaging apparatus;
- and
- generating an image by the digital signal based on the first signal, and performing focus detection by the digital signal based on the second signal by the output signal processing unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.