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US 9,871,987 B2Granted
Image pickup element and image pickup apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsToshiharu Ueda, Teruyuki Okado
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an image pickup element, a plurality of unit pixels constituted by one micro lens and a photodiode arranged underneath the micro lens are arranged in rows and columns. The image pickup element includes first unit pixels in which a plurality of photodiodes are arranged underneath one micro lens, second unit pixels different from the first unit pixels, m first output lines per column from which signals of the first unit pixels are output, and n second output lines per column from which signals of the second unit pixels are output.
Claims10
An image pickup element comprising:
- a pixel array in which a plurality of first unit pixels each including M photoelectric converters (M is a natural number higher than or equal to 2) and a plurality of second unit pixels each including N photoelectric converters (N is a natural number lower than M) are arranged in rows and columns;
- a first column output line arranged for each column of the pixel array,
- wherein signals of the first unit pixels are output to the first column output line;
- and
- a second column output line that is different from the first column output line and arranged for each column of the pixel array,
- wherein signals of the second unit pixels are output to the second column output line,
- wherein the first column output line is shared by the first unit pixels of adjacent columns for outputting signals of the first unit pixels of adjacent columns, and the second column output line is shared by the second unit pixels of adjacent columns for outputting signals of the second unit pixels of adjacent columns,
- wherein the number of the second column output lines per column is lower than the number of the first column output lines per column.
5 more elements
An image pickup apparatus comprising:
- a pixel array in which a plurality of first unit pixels each including M photoelectric converters (M is a natural number higher than or equal to 2) and a plurality of second unit pixels each including N photoelectric converters (N is a natural number lower than M) are arranged in rows and columns;
- a first column output line arranged for each column of the pixel array,
- wherein signals of the first unit pixels are output to the first column output line;
- and
- a second column output line that is different from the first column output line and arranged for each column of the pixel array,
- wherein signals of the second unit pixels are output to the second column output line,
- an image processor that applies predetermined image processing to pixel signals output from the first column output lines and second column output lines;
- and
- a controller that performs focus control using the pixel signals of the first unit pixels,
- wherein the first column output line is shared by the first unit pixels of adjacent columns for outputting signals of the first unit pixels of adjacent columns, and the second column output line is shared by the second unit pixels of adjacent columns for outputting signals of the second unit pixels of adjacent columns,
- wherein the number of the second column output lines per column is lower than the number of the first column output lines per column.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.