US 9,432,568 B2 · Pixel arrangements for image sensors with phase detection pixels

Abstract

An image sensor may include a pixel array having image pixels for capturing image data and phase detection pixels for gathering phase information during automatic focusing operations. Phase detection pixels may form phase detection pixel pairs having first and second pixels with different angular responses. The first and second pixels may have color filters of the same color or may have color filters of different colors. The phase detection pixel pairs may be isolated from other phase detection pixel pairs in the array or may be arranged consecutively in a line. The phase detection pixels may, for example, be provided with color filters to match the color filter pattern of the pixel array. Processing circuitry may adjust red and green pixel signals from a phase detection pixel pair having a red and green color filter and may subsequently determine a phase difference using the adjusted pixel signals.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An image sensor having a pixel array, wherein the pixel array comprises:

a plurality of image pixels that gather image data, wherein each image pixel has only a single photodiode covered by only a single microlens;
a pair of phase detection pixels that gather phase information, wherein the pair of phase detection pixels includes first and second phase detection pixels with different angular responses;
and
a color filter array, wherein the color filter array comprises a plurality of color filter elements formed over the plurality of image pixels, wherein the plurality of color filter elements are arranged according to a color pattern, wherein the first and second phase detection pixels include respective first and second color filter elements having respective first and second colors that match the color pattern, and wherein the color pattern comprises a repeating unit cell of two-by-two color filter elements that is repeated across the entire color filter array.

1 more element

An image sensor having a pixel array, wherein the pixel array comprises:

a plurality of image pixels that gather image data, wherein each image pixel has only a single photodiode covered by only a single microlens;
pairs of phase detection pixels that gather phase information, wherein each pair of phase detection pixels includes first and second phase detection pixels with different angular responses and wherein each pair of phase detection pixels is completely surrounded by the image pixels and is isolated from the other pairs of phase detection pixels in the pixel array;
and
a color filter array, wherein the color filter array comprises a plurality of color filter elements formed over the pixel array, wherein the plurality of color filter elements are arranged according to a color pattern, wherein the color pattern comprises a repeating unit cell of two-by-two color filter elements, wherein the repeating unit cell of two-by-two color filter elements has two color filter elements of a first color arranged on a first diagonal, and wherein the repeating unit cell of two-by-two image color filter elements has a color filter element of a second color and a color filter element of a third color on a second diagonal, and wherein each pair of phase detection pixels includes respective first and second color filter elements having respective colors that match the color pattern.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Pixel arrangements for image sensors with phase detection pixels

Life of this patent

Pixel arrangements for image sensors with phase detection pixels

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20