Color image sensor with imaging elements imaging on respective regions of sensor elements

• US 20050134698A1
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Gruhlke, Russell W., Schroeder, Dale W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,123,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/218.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/15 Image signal generation with circuitry for avoiding or correcting image misregistration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/16 Optical arrangements associated therewith, e.g. for beam-splitting or for colour correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/11 Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/41 Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors

Abstract

The color image sensor generates an image signal representing a subject. The color image sensor has a light sensor and imaging elements arranged to form images of the subject in light of different colors on respective regions of the light sensor. The light sensor includes sensor elements and is operable to generate the image signal in response to light incident on it.

Claims

1. A method for generating a color image signal representing a subject, the method comprising:

providing a light sensor comprising an array of sensor elements, the light sensor operable to generate the color image signal in response to light incident thereon; and

independently imaging light of different colors from the subject on respective regions of the light sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising filtering light from a portion of the light from the subject to provide light of a first color.

3. The method of claim 2, additionally comprising filtering light from another portion of the light from the subject to provide light of a second color.

4. The method of claim 3, in which:

the light of the second color is at least one of (a) closer to the center of the visible spectrum and (b) broader in wavelength range than the light of the first color; and

the imaging comprises imaging the light of the first color on a first one of the regions of the light sensor and imaging the light of the second color on a second one of the regions of the light sensor.

5. The method of claim 4, in which the first one of the regions and the second one of the regions differ in at least one of (a) size and (b) number of sensor elements.

6. The method of claim 4, in which the first one of the regions and the second one of the regions are equal in at least one of (a) area and (b) number of sensor elements.

7. The method of claim 4, in which the light of the second color is unfiltered with respect to visible light.

8. The method of claim 4, in which the light of the second color comprises red light, green light and blue light.

9. The method of claim 1, in which:

the color image signal comprises an image signal component corresponding to each of the regions of the light sensor;

the imaging forms an image on each of the regions of the light sensor; and

the method additionally comprises processing the image signal components to remove from the color image signal effects of parallax between the images.

10. The method of claim 9, in which the processing is additionally performed to remove the effects of parallax between corresponding portions of the images.

11. The method of claim 1, in which:

the method additionally comprises providing imaging elements and affixing the imaging elements to the light sensor;

the color image signal comprises an image signal component corresponding to each of the regions of the light sensor; and

the method additionally comprises processing the image signal components to remove from the color image signal effects of misalignment between the imaging elements and the light sensor.

12. The method of claim 1, in which:

the color image signal comprises an image signal component corresponding to each of the regions of the light sensor; and

the method additionally comprises;

controlling the exposure times used to generate the image signal components independently of one another; and

processing the image signal components to generate the color image signal, the processing comprising correcting for differences in the exposure times.

13. A color image sensor for generating an image signal representing a subject, the image sensor comprising:

a light sensor comprising sensor elements, the light sensor operable to generate the image signal in response to light incident thereon; and

imaging elements arranged to form images of the subject light in light of different colors on respective regions of the light sensor.

14. The image sensor of claim 13, additionally comprising a first color filter optically arranged in series with a first one of the imaging elements, the first color filter configured to transmit light of a first color.

15. The image sensor of claim 14, additionally comprising a first color filter optically arranged in series with a second one of the imaging elements, the second color filter configured to transmit light of a second color, different from the first color.

16. The image sensor of claim 15, in which:

the light of the second color is at least one of (a) closer to the center of the visible spectrum and (b) broader in wavelength range than the light of the first color; and

the imaging elements form an image in the light of the first color on a first one of the regions of the light sensor and additionally form an image in the light of the second color on a second one of the regions of the light sensor.

17. The image sensor of claim 16, in which the first one of the regions and the second one of the regions are equal in at least one of (a) area and (b) number of sensor elements.

18. The image sensor of claim 16, in which the first one of the regions and the second one of the regions differ in at least one of (a) area and (b) number of sensor elements.

19. The image sensor of claim 20, in which the first one of the regions, the second one of the regions and the third one of the regions are equal in at least one of (a) area and (b) number of sensor elements.

20. The image sensor of claim 16, in which the second color filter is configured to transmit the light of the second color unfiltered with respect to visible light.

21. The image sensor of claim 16, in which the second color filter is configured to transmit red light, green light and blue light as the light of the second color.

22. The image sensor of claim 15, additionally comprising a third color filter optically arranged in series with a third one of the imaging elements, the third color filter configured to transmit light of a third color, different from the first color and the second color.

23. The image sensor of claim 22, in which:

the light of the second color is at least one of (a) closer to the center of the visible spectrum and (b) broader in wavelength range than each of the light of the first color and the light of the third color; and

the imaging elements form an image in the light of the first color on a first one of the regions of the light sensor, in the light of the second color on a second one of the regions of the light sensor, and in the light of the third color on a third one of the regions of the light sensor, the second one of the regions differing from the first one of the regions and the second one of the regions in at least one of (a) area and (b) number of sensor elements.

24. The image sensor of claim 15, in which the regions of the light sensor are arranged in a straight line.

25. The image sensor of claim 15, in which the regions of the light sensor are arranged at the apices of a triangle.

26. The image sensor of claim 15, in which:

the color image signal comprises an image signal component corresponding to each of the regions of the light sensor; and

the image sensor additionally comprises a processor operable to process the image signal components to remove from the color image signal effects of parallax between the images.

27. The image sensor of claim 15, in which:

the imaging elements are affixed to the light sensor;

the image signal comprises an image signal component corresponding to each of the regions of the light sensor; and

the image sensor additionally comprises a processor operable to process the image signal components to remove from the color image signal effects of misalignment of the imaging elements relative to the light sensor.

28. The image sensor of claim 13, additionally comprising no more than one substrate, the substrate supporting all the sensor elements.