Image sensor, image capturing apparatus, focus detection apparatus, image processing apparatus, and control method of image capturing apparatus using pupil division in different directions

An image capturing apparatus comprising:

• an image sensor in which pixels, each having a photoelectric conversion region divided into a plurality of regions, are arranged two-dimensionally,
• wherein the image sensor comprises:
• a first pixel, from the pixels, for which each of photoelectric conversion regions divided in a first direction receives a light beam that passes through a pupil region of an imaging optical system that corresponds to each of photoelectric conversion regions;
• a second pixel, from the pixels, for which each of photoelectric conversion regions divided in a second direction different to the first direction receives a light beam that passes through the pupil region of the imaging optical system that corresponds to each of photoelectric conversion regions, and
• an image processing circuit configured to generate, based on a first signal output from the first pixel and a second signal output from the second pixel, parallax images having a number of parallaxes that is more than a number of parallaxes included in each of the first signal and the second signal,
• wherein the first pixel outputs signals having parallax in the first direction from the photoelectric conversion regions divided in the first direction, and
• wherein the second pixel outputs signals having parallax in the second direction from the photoelectric conversion regions divided in the second direction.

A focus detection apparatus comprising:

• an image sensor in which pixels, each having a photoelectric conversion region divided into a plurality of regions, are arranged two-dimensionally, the image sensor comprising
• a first pixel, from the pixels, for which each of photoelectric conversion regions divided in a first direction receives a light beam that passes through a pupil region of an imaging optical system that corresponds to each of photoelectric conversion regions, and
• a second pixel, from the pixels, for which each of photoelectric conversion regions divided in a second direction different to the first direction receives a light beam that passes through the pupil region of the imaging optical system that corresponds to each of photoelectric conversion regions, wherein
• the first pixel outputs signals having parallax in the first direction from the photoelectric conversion regions divided in the first direction, and
• the second pixel outputs signals having parallax in the second direction from the photoelectric conversion regions divided in the second direction;
• and
• an image processing circuit configured to:
• obtain a signal output from the image sensor that includes a first signal output from the first pixel and a second signal output from the second pixel,
• calculate a defocus amount that represents a distance between an image forming position and an image capturing surface based on at least one of the first signal and the second signal;
• perform focus detection based on the calculated defocus amount, and
• generate, based on a first signal output from the first pixel and a second signal output from the second pixel, parallax images having a number of parallaxes that is more than a number of parallaxes included in each of the first signal and the second signal.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• an image processing circuit configured to obtain a signal output from an image sensor in which pixels, each having a photoelectric conversion region divided into a plurality of regions, are arranged two-dimensionally, the image sensor comprising
• a first pixel, from the pixels, for which each of photoelectric conversion regions divided in a first direction receives a light beam that passes through a pupil region of an imaging optical system that corresponds to each of photoelectric conversion regions, and
• a second pixel, from the pixels, for which each of photoelectric conversion regions divided in a second direction different to the first direction receives a light beam that passes through the pupil region of the imaging optical system that corresponds to each of photoelectric conversion regions,
• wherein the first pixel outputs signals having parallax in the first direction from the photoelectric conversion regions divided in the first direction, and
• the second pixel outputs signals having parallax in the second direction from the photoelectric conversion regions divided in the second direction, and
• wherein the signal output from the image sensor includes a first signal output from the first pixel and a second signal output from the second pixel;
• and
• wherein said image processing circuit is further configured to generate, based on the first signal and the second signal, parallax images having a number of parallaxes that is more than a number of parallaxes obtained by dividing the photoelectric conversion region.

A control method of an image processing apparatus having:

• an image sensor in which pixels, each having a photoelectric conversion region divided into a plurality of regions, are arranged two-dimensionally, the image sensor comprising
• a first pixel, from the pixels, for which each of photoelectric conversion regions divided in a first direction receives a light beam that passes through a pupil region of an imaging optical system that corresponds to each of photoelectric conversion regions, and
• a second pixel, from the pixels, for which each of photoelectric conversion regions divided in a second direction different to the first direction receives a light beam that passes through the pupil region of the imaging optical system that corresponds to each of photoelectric conversion regions, the method comprising:
• obtaining a signal output from the image sensor, in which the first pixel outputs signals having parallax in the first direction from the photoelectric conversion regions divided in the first direction, and
• the second pixel outputs signals having parallax in the second direction from the photoelectric conversion regions divided in the second direction, that includes a first signal output from the first pixel and a second signal output from the second pixel;
• and
• generating, based on the first signal and the second signal, parallax images having a number of parallaxes that is more than a number of parallaxes included in each of the first signal and the second signal.