Imager integrated circuit and stereoscopic image capture device

An imager integrated circuit intended to cooperate with an optical system configured to direct light rays from a scene to an inlet face of the imager integrated circuit, said imager integrated circuit being configured to perform a simultaneous stereoscopic capture of N images corresponding to N distinct views of the scene, N being an integer higher than 1, each of the N images corresponding to light rays directed by a portion of the optical system which is different from those directing the light rays corresponding to the N−1 other images, the imager integrated circuit including:

• N subsets of pixels made on a same substrate, each of the N subsets of pixels being intended to perform the capture of one of the N images associated therewith,
• means interposed between each of the N subsets of pixels and the inlet face of the imager integrated circuit, and configured to pass the light rays corresponding to the image associated with said subset of pixels and block the other light rays directed from the optical system to said subset of pixels,
• and wherein said means include:
• at least two opaque layers superimposed one above the other with a space therebetween, provided between the pixels and the inlet face of the imager integrated circuit, both opaque layers having, passing therethrough, a plurality of holes forming, towards each pixel, at least one pair of superimposed diaphragms, formed by the alignment of the holes in one of the at least two opaque layers being different than the alignment of the holes in another of the at least two opaque layers, configured to pass a part of the light rays corresponding to the image associated with the subset of pixels of which said pixel is part and configured to block other light rays directed from the optical system to said pixel and corresponding to the other images,
• wherein, when N equals two and said portion of the optical system corresponds to one half of the optical system, a distance H between the pixels and a second one of both opaque layers, a first of both opaque layers being provided between the pixels and the second one of both opaque layers, is H≦1.5×p·O·n, with:
• p:
• pitch of the pixels;
• O:
• numerical aperture of the optical system;
• n:
• optical index of a transparent material provided between both opaque layers.

An imager integrated circuit intended to cooperate with an optical system configured to direct light rays from a scene to an inlet face of the imager integrated circuit, said imager integrated circuit being configured to perform a simultaneous stereoscopic capture of N images corresponding to N distinct views of the scene, N being an integer higher than 1, each of the N images corresponding to light rays directed by a portion of the optical system which is different from those directing the light rays corresponding to the N−1 other images, the imager integrated circuit including:

• N subsets of pixels made on a same substrate, each of the N subsets of pixels being intended to perform the capture of one of the N images associated therewith,
• means interposed between each of the N subsets of pixels and the inlet face of the imager integrated circuit, and configured to pass the light rays corresponding to the image associated with said subset of pixels and block the other light rays directed from the optical system to said subset of pixels,
• and wherein said means include:
• at least two opaque layers superimposed one above the other with a space therebetween, provided between the pixels and the inlet face of the imager integrated circuit, both opaque layers having, passing therethrough, a plurality of holes forming, towards each pixel, at least one pair of superimposed diaphragms, formed by the alignment of the holes in one of the at least two opaque layers being different than the alignment of the holes in another of the at least two opaque layers, configured to pass a part of the light rays corresponding to the image associated with the subset of pixels of which said pixel is part and configured to block other light rays directed from the optical system to said pixel and corresponding to the other images,
• wherein the number of holes passing through a first one of both opaque layers is equal to the total number of pixels of the N subsets of pixels, and the number of holes passing through a second one of both opaque layers is equal to (Mpix/N)±1, with Mpix corresponding to said total number of pixels, said first one of both opaque layers being provided between the pixels and the second one of both opaque layers,
• wherein the distance H between the pixels and the second one of both opaque layers is
• H
• =
• n
• ·
• m
• ·
• O
• ·
• (
• N
• -
• 1
• )
• ·
• p
• (
• m
• -
• 1
• )
• +
• (
• m
• ⁢
• /
• ⁢
• D
• )
• ·
• (
• N
• -
• 1
• )
• ·
• p
• ,
• with:
• D:
• diameter of the optical system;
• D/m:
• diameter of one of said portions of the optical system;
• p:
• pitch of the pixels;
• O:
• numerical aperture of the optical system;
• n:
• optical index of a transparent material provided between both opaque layers.