# US 2019/0174085 A1 · Solid-state imaging device and signal processing device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0174085 A1 - Document ID: US20190174085A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/199,926 - Filed: 2018-11-26 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Satoshi Koizumi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190174085A1 ## CPC - H04N 25/704: Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets - H04N 25/778: comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself - H04N 25/78: Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters - H10F 39/18: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors - H10F 39/806: {Optical elements or arrangements associated with the image sensors} - H10F 39/8063: {Microlenses} - H10F 39/813: {Electronic components shared by multiple pixels, e.g. one amplifier shared by two pixels} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION ## Abstract A solid-state imaging device includes pixels in a matrix and a readout circuit that reads signals from a pixel. Each pixel includes a first photoelectric converter, a second photoelectric converter arranged in a first direction relative to the first photoelectric converter, a third photoelectric converter arranged in a second direction relative to the first photoelectric converter, a fourth photoelectric converter arranged in the second direction relative to the second photoelectric converter and in the first direction relative to the third photoelectric converter, and a micro lens for all the photoelectric converters. The readout circuit reads charges from all the photoelectric converters by three readout operations and reads signals so as to be able to identify a signal based on charges generated by only one photoelectric converter. The readout circuit selects the one photoelectric converter from all the photoelectric converters. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A solid-state imaging device comprising: a plurality of pixels arranged to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns; and a readout circuit that reads out signals from an associated pixel of the plurality of pixels, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a first photoelectric converter, a second photoelectric converter arranged in a first direction with respect to the first photoelectric converter, a third photoelectric converter arranged in a second direction intersecting with the first direction with respect to the first photoelectric converter, a fourth photoelectric converter arranged in the second direction with respect to the second photoelectric converter and in the first direction with respect to the third photoelectric converter, and a single micro lens that converges light to the first to fourth photoelectric converters, wherein the readout circuit is configured to read out a plurality of signals from the associated pixel by three times of readout operations, within the three times of readout operations, charges from all of the first to fourth photoelectric converters of the associated pixel are read out so that the charges of each of the first to fourth photoelectric converters are reflected to at least one of the plurality of signals, the readout circuit is configured to read out the plurality of signals from the associated pixel so as to be able to identify a signal based on charges generated by only one photoelectric converter out of the first to fourth photoelectric converters of the associated pixel, and the readout circuit is configured to select the one photoelectric converter of the associated pixel out of the first to fourth photoelectric converters. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the signal based on charges generated by only the one photoelectric converter is a signal by which phase difference information in the second direction or the first direction can be identified. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein a signal based on charges generated by two photoelectric converters can be identified by using the plurality of signals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the signal based on charges generated by two photoelectric converters is a signal by which phase difference information in the first direction or the second direction can be identified. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The solid-stale imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of signals includes a signal based on charges generated by the first to fourth photoelectric converters included in the associated pixel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the readout circuit is configured to read out from the associated pixel, a first signal based on charges generated by the first photoelectric converter, a second signal based on charges generated by the first and second photoelectric converters, and a third signal based on charges generated by the first to fourth photoelectric converters. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the readout circuit is configured to read out, from the associated pixel, a first signal based on charges generated by the first photoelectric converter, a second signal based on charges generated by the first third, and fourth photoelectric converters, and a third signal based on charges generated by the first to fourth photoelectric converters. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the readout circuit is configured to read out, from the associated pixel, a first signal based on charges generated by the third and fourth photoelectric converters, a second signal based on charges generated by the first, third, and fourth photoelectric converters, and a third signal based on charges generated by the first to fourth photoelectric converters. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the readout circuit selects the one photoelectric converter of the associated pixel out of the first to fourth photoelectric converters in accordance with an exit pupil distance of an image capturing lens. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 9, wherein the readout circuit selects, as the one photoelectric converter, a photoelectric converter which is the closest to the optical center of the linage capturing lens out of the first to fourth photoelectric converters when the exit pupil distance is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 9, wherein the readout circuit selects, as the one photoelectric converter, a photoelectric converter which is the farthest from the optical center of the image capturing lens out of the first to fourth photoelectric converters when the exit pupil distance is less than a predetermined distance. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first direction is closer to a direction orthogonal to a direction of a high contrast of a subject than the second direction. ### Claim 13 A signal processing device that processes signals output from a solid-state imaging device that includes a plurality of pixels arranged to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a plurality of photoelectric converters, which include three or more photoelectric converters, and a single micro lens that converges light to the plurality of photoelectric converters, the signal processing device comprising: a phase difference calculation unit that calculates a phase difference in a first direction based on a pair of first phase difference detection signals including phase difference information in the first direction and calculates a phase difference in a second direction based on a pair of second phase difference detection signals including phase difference information in the second direction, the second direction intersecting with the first direction, wherein each of the pair of first phase difference detection signals is a signal based on charges generated by only one photoelectric converter of the plurality of photoelectric converters, and wherein each of the pair of second phase difference detection signals is a signal based on charges generated by two or more photoelectric converters of the plurality of photoelectric converters. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The signal processing device according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of photoelectric converters include a first photoelectric converter, a second photoelectric converter arranged in the first direction with respect to the first photoelectric converter, a third photoelectric converter arranged in the second direction with respect to the first photoelectric converter, and a fourth photoelectric converter arranged in the second direction with respect to the second photoelectric converter and in the first direction with respect to the third photoelectric converter, wherein the phase difference calculation unit calculates the pair of first phase difference detection signals based on a first signal and a second signal and calculates the pair of second phase difference detection signal based on the second signal and a third signal, wherein the first signal is a signal based on charges generated by the first photoelectric converter, wherein the second signal is a signal based on charges generated by the first and second photoelectric converters, and wherein the third signal is a signal based on charges generated by the first to fourth photoelectric converters. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The signal processing device according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of photoelectric converters include a first photoelectric converter, a second photoelectric converter arranged in the first direction with respect to the first photoelectric converter, a third photoelectric converter arranged in the second direction with respect to the first photoelectric converter, and a fourth photoelectric converter arranged in the second direction with respect to the second photoelectric converter and in the first direction with respect to the third photoelectric converter, wherein the phase difference calculation unit calculates the pair of first phase difference detection signals based on a first signal, a second signal, and a third signal and calculates the pair of second phase difference detection signal based on the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal, wherein the first signal is a signal based on charges generated by the first photoelectric converter, wherein the second signal is a signal based on charges generated by the first, third, and fourth photoelectric converters, and wherein the third signal is a signal based on charges generated by the first to fourth photoelectric converters. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The signal processing device according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of photoelectric converters include a first photoelectric converter, a second photoelectric converter arranged in the first direction with respect to the first photoelectric converter, a third photoelectric converter arranged in the second direction with respect to the first photoelectric converter, and a fourth photoelectric converter arranged in the second direction with respect to the second photoelectric converter and in the first direction with respect to the third photoelectric converter, wherein the phase difference calculation unit calculates the pair of first phase difference detection signals based on a first signal, a second signal, and a third signal and calculates the pair of second phase difference detection signal based on the second signal and the third signal, wherein the first signal is a signal based on charges generated by the third and fourth photoelectric converters, wherein the second signal is a signal based on charges generated by the first, third, and fourth photoelectric converters, and wherein the third signal is a signal based on charges generated by the first to fourth photoelectric converters. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) An imaging system comprising: the solid-state imaging device according to claim 1; and a signal processing device that processes signals output from the solid-state imaging device, wherein the signal processing device calculates a phase difference in the first direction based on a pair of first phase difference detection signals including phase difference information in the first direction and calculates a phase difference in the second direction based on a pair of second phase difference detection signals including phase difference information in the second direction, wherein each signal of the pair of first phase difference detection signals is a signal based on charges generated by only one photoelectric converter of the plurality of photoelectric converters, and wherein each signal of the pair of second phase difference detection signals is a signal based on charges generated by two or more photoelectric converters of the plurality of photoelectric converters. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A movable object comprising: the solid-state imaging device according to claim 1; a distance information acquisition unit that acquires distance information on a distance to an object, from a parallax image based on signals output from the pixels of the solid-state imaging device; and a control unit that controls the movable object based on the distance information.