Image signal processor with image replacement and mobile computing device including the same

A mobile computing device comprising:

• an image sensor comprising:
• a first pixel comprising a first photoelectric conversion element of a first phase group and configured to have a first exposure and a second photoelectric conversion element of a second phase group and configured to have a second exposure;
• and
• a second pixel comprising a third photoelectric conversion element of the first phase group and configured to have the second exposure and a fourth photoelectric conversion element of the second phase group and configured to have the first exposure;
• an image signal processor configured to receive a captured image comprising a first image generated at least in part by the first photoelectric conversion element and a second image generated at least in part by the second photoelectric conversion element from the image sensor;
• and
• an application processor configured to control an operation of the mobile computing device,
• wherein:
• the first exposure is longer than the second exposure;
• and
• the image signal processor is configured to output an output image by replacing one of the first image and the second image with the other of the first image and the second image,
• wherein the captured image comprises a first phase image comprising the first image and a second phase image comprising the second image;
• and
• the image signal processor is further configured to:
• generate a first correlation between a first window within the first phase image and a second window having the same size as the first window within the second phase image;
• generate a second correlation between the first window within the first phase image and a third window having the same size as the first window within the second phase image;
• and
• replace the first image with the second image based on the first correlation and the second correlation.

An image sensor, comprising:

• a first pixel in a first group of rows in a pixel array including a first photoelectric conversion element of a first phase group and configured to have a first exposure and a second photoelectric conversion element of a second phase group and configured to have a second exposure;
• and
• a second pixel in a second group of rows in the pixel array including a third photoelectric conversion element of the first phase group and configured to have the second exposure and a fourth photoelectric conversion element of the second phase group and configured to have the first exposure;
• an image signal processor coupled to the first pixel and the second pixel and configured to:
• receive a first image including a signal from the first photoelectric conversion element;
• receive a second image including a signal from the second photoelectric conversion element;
• and
• output an output image by replacing one of the first image with the second image with the other of the first image and the second image;
• receive a first phase image and a second phase image from the image sensor, the first phase image comprising the first image and a third image generated by the third photoelectric conversion element, the second phase image comprising the second image and a fourth image generated by the fourth photoelectric conversion element;
• generate a first correlation between a first window within the first phase image and a second window having the same size as the first window within the second phase image;
• generate a second correlation between the first window within the first phase image and a third window having the same size as the first window within the second phase image;
• replace the first image with the second image based on the first correlation and the second correlation;
• and
• wherein the first exposure is longer than the second exposure and the first group of rows are adjacent to the second group of rows.