Solid-state imaging device, signal processing method of solid-state imaging device, and electronic apparatus
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorKeiji Mabuchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section and a signal processing section. The pixel array section is configured to include a plurality of arranged rectangular pixels, each of which has different sizes in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a plurality of adjacent ones of which are combined to form a square pixel having the same size in the vertical and horizontal directions. The signal processing section is configured to perform a process of outputting, as a single signal, a plurality of signals read out from the combined plurality of rectangular pixels.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
A signal processing method, comprising:
- receiving a signal from each of a plurality of pixels included in a sensor, wherein each of the pixels is part of a set of pixels that includes two or more pixels, wherein each set of pixels includes at least a high-sensitivity pixel and a low-sensitivity pixel, and wherein each set of pixels shares pixel circuit elements;
- reading out a signal from at least a high-sensitivity pixel included in a first set of pixels;
- determining whether the signal read out from the high sensitivity pixel in the first set of pixels is equal to or greater than a predetermined value;
- and
- at least one of:
- in response to determining that the signal read out from the high-sensitivity pixel in the first set of pixels is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value, performing analog to digital conversion of the signal from the high-sensitivity pixel included in the first set of pixels;
- and
- in response to determining that the signal read out from the high-sensitivity pixel in the first set of pixels is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, performing analog to digital conversion of the signal from the low-sensitivity pixel included in the first set of pixels.
A signal processing method for a solid-state imaging device, comprising:
- providing a solid-state imaging device, including a plurality of sets of pixels, each set of pixels including at least one high-sensitivity pixel and one low-sensitivity pixel;
- for at least a first set of pixels included in the plurality of sets of pixels, performing read-out from the at least one high-sensitivity pixel and one low-sensitivity pixel in sequence;
- determining whether or not the read-out from the at least one high-sensitivity pixel is at least a predetermined value;
- generating a video signal using the high-sensitivity pixel when the signal from the high-sensitivity pixel is not at the saturation level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.