Image sensor, image capturing apparatus, and image processing method
First Claim
1. An image sensor, comprising:
- a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and having pixels where at least three kinds of color filters are disposed, wherein color pixels where the color filters are disposed and monochrome pixels where no color filter is disposed are provided, the sum total of the monochrome pixels is larger than the sum total of the color pixels, and when pixels including a predetermined number of color pixels for each kind of color filter constitute one group, the color pixels or the pixels of the groups are dispersedly disposed with the monochrome pixels in between.
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Abstract
An image sensor of present invention comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and having pixels where at least three kinds of color filters are disposed, color pixels where the color filters are disposed and monochrome pixels where no color filter is disposed are provided, the sum total of the monochrome pixels is larger than the sum total of the color pixels, and when pixels including a predetermined number of color pixels for each kind of color filter constitute one group, the color pixels or the pixels of the groups are dispersedly disposed with the monochrome pixels in between. Compared to the image sensors in which only color pixels where color filters are disposed are arranged and the conventional image sensors in which the sum total of the monochrome pixels is equal to or smaller than the sum total of the color pixels, the effective sensitivity of the image sensor can be improved, so that photographing with high sensitivity can be performed and a beautiful image with an excellent (high) S/N ratio can be obtained.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. An image sensor, comprising:
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a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and having pixels where at least three kinds of color filters are disposed, wherein color pixels where the color filters are disposed and monochrome pixels where no color filter is disposed are provided, the sum total of the monochrome pixels is larger than the sum total of the color pixels, and when pixels including a predetermined number of color pixels for each kind of color filter constitute one group, the color pixels or the pixels of the groups are dispersedly disposed with the monochrome pixels in between. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:
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a taking optical system for forming a light image of the subject;
an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and having pixels where at least three kinds of color filters are disposed, wherein color pixels where the color filters are disposed and monochrome pixels where no color filter is disposed are provided, the sum total of the monochrome pixels is larger than the sum total of the color pixels, when pixels including a predetermined number of color pixels for each kind of color filter constitute one group, the color pixels or the pixels of the groups are dispersedly disposed with the monochrome pixels in between, and whose image capturing surface is disposed on an image forming surface of the taking optical system;
an input operation portion for inputting instructions to start and end an exposure operation to the image sensor;
an image generator for generating an image from a pixel signal obtained by the exposure operation by the image sensor; and
an image display for displaying the image generated by the image generator. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An image processing method for generating an image by use of pixel signals obtained from an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and having pixels where at least three kinds of color filters are disposed, wherein color pixels where the color filters are disposed and monochrome pixels where no color filter is disposed are provided, the sum total of the monochrome pixels is larger than the sum total of the color pixels, and when pixels including a predetermined number of color pixels for each kind of color filter constitute one group, the color pixels or the pixels of the groups are dispersedly disposed with the monochrome pixels in between, comprising:
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a step of generating first brightness data in the positions of the monochrome pixels based on the pixel signals obtained from the monochrome pixels, a step of generating second brightness data in the positions of the color pixels by an interpolation processing using the first brightness data, a step of generating first color data in the positions of the color pixels based on the pixel signals obtained from the color pixels, and a step of generating second color data in the positions of the monochrome pixels by an interpolation processing using the first color data. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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Specification