IMAGING DEVICE CAMERA SYSTEM AND DRIVING METHOD OF THE SAME

• US 20080128598A1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kanai, Junichi, Nakamura, Nobuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,671,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/226
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/266 using masks H01L21/26586 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14603 Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address-lines or gate-electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14605 Structural or functional details relating to the position of the pixel elements, e.g. smaller pixel elements in the center of the imager compared to pixel elements at the periphery
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1461 characterised by the photosensitive area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14645 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14647 Multicolour imagers having a stacked pixel-element structure, e.g. npn, npnpn or MQW elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14689 MOS based technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2209/045 using mosaic colour filter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/10 for generating image signals from different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/135 based on four or more different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/447 by preserving the colour pattern with or without loss of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/531 by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/533 by using differing integration times for different sensor regions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/534 depending on the spectral component
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/583 with different integration times

Abstract

An imaging device includes: a pixel array part in which a plurality of pixels with different characteristics of spectral sensitivity are arranged in an array and which converts light transmitted through the pixel into an electric signal, wherein in the pixel array part, among a first color filter pixel, a second color filter pixel, and a third color filter pixel, each including a color filter, at least a plurality of the first color filter pixels and the second color filter pixels is arranged in an oblique pixel array system, and a clear pixel having a high transmittance is arranged in an oblique pixel array system at a given position of a given row and a given column in the oblique pixel array with respect to the first color filter pixel, the second color filter pixel, and the third color filter pixel.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

a pixel array part in which a plurality of pixels with different characteristics of spectral sensitivity are arranged in an array and which converts light transmitted through the pixel into an electric signal,

wherein in the pixel array part,

among a first color filter pixel having a peak of spectral sensitivity characteristics in red, a second color filter pixel having a peak in blue, and a third color filter pixel having a peak in green, each including a color filter, at least a plurality of the first color filter pixels and the second color filter pixels is arranged in an oblique pixel array system, and

a clear pixel having a high transmittance is arranged in an oblique pixel array system at a given position of a given row and a given column in the oblique pixel array with respect to the first color filter pixel, the second color filter pixel, and the third color filter pixel.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein in the pixel array part,

a first color filter pixel having a peak of spectral sensitivity characteristics in red, a second color filter pixel having a peak in blue, and a third color filter pixel having a peak in green, each including a color filter are arranged in an array, and

the clear pixel is uniformly arranged between the color filter pixels.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the pixel array part includes a pixel row and a pixel column formed only of the clear pixel.

4. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the pixel array part includes a pixel row and a pixel column formed only of the clear pixel.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the pixel array part includes a pixel row and/or a pixel column having the clear pixel and at least one color filter pixel mixed.

6. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a read channel exclusive for the clear pixel and a read channel exclusive for the color filter pixel separately.

7. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a function that separately performs electronic shutter drive for the clear pixel and for the color filter pixel.

8. The imaging device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein reading the clear pixel and/or the individual color filter pixels are performed by pixel adding read including a plurality of pixels.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8, wherein in adding read of the clear pixel, a pixel arranged closer than the color filter pixel is added.

10. The imaging device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein a signal of a plurality of pixels in the same color the closest from a pixel to be added, and a signal is generated that is added from pixels including the pixel to be added.

11. An imaging device comprising:

a pixel array part in which a plurality of pixels with different characteristics of spectral sensitivity are arranged in an array and which converts light transmitted through the pixel into an electric signal,

wherein in the pixel array part,

among a first color filter pixel having a peak of spectral sensitivity characteristics in red, a second color filter pixel having a peak in blue, and a third color filter pixel having a peak in green, each including a color filter, at least a plurality of the first color filter pixels and the second color filter pixels is arranged in an array,

a clear pixel having a high transmittance is arranged at a given position of a given row and a given column in the array pixel arrangement with respect to the first color filter pixel, the second color filter pixel, and the third color filter pixel, and

a read channel exclusive for the clear pixel and a read channel exclusive for the color filter pixel are separately provided.

12. An imaging device comprising:

a pixel array part in which a plurality of pixels with different characteristics of spectral sensitivity are arranged in an array and which converts light transmitted through the pixel into an electric signal,

wherein in the pixel array part,

among a first color filter pixel having a peak of spectral sensitivity characteristics in red, a second color filter pixel having a peak in blue, and a third color filter pixel having a peak in green, each including a color filter, at least a plurality of the first color filter pixels and the second color filter pixels is arranged in an array,

a clear pixel having a high transmittance is arranged at a given position of a given row and a given column in the array pixel arrangement with respect to the first color filter pixel, the second color filter pixel, and the third color filter pixel, and

a function is provided that separately performs electronic shutter drive for the clear pixel and for the color filter pixel.

13. An imaging device comprising:

a pixel array part in which a plurality of pixels with different characteristics of spectral sensitivity are arranged in an array and which converts light transmitted through the pixel into an electric signal,

wherein in the pixel array part,

among a first color filter pixel having a peak of spectral sensitivity characteristics in red, a second color filter pixel having a peak in blue, and a third color filter pixel having a peak in green, each including a color filter, at least a plurality of the first color filter pixels and the second color filter pixels is arranged in an array,

a clear pixel having a high transmittance is arranged at a given position of a given row and a given column in the array pixel arrangement with respect to the first color filter pixel, the second color filter pixel, and the third color filter pixel,

a read channel exclusive for the clear pixel and a read channel exclusive for the color filter pixel are separately provided, and

a function is provided that separately performs electronic shutter drive for the clear pixel and for the color filter pixel.

14. A driving method of a camera system, the camera system having:

an imaging device;

an optical system operable to lead incident light to an imaging part of the imaging device; and

a signal processing circuit operable to process an output signal of the imaging device,

wherein the imaging device includes;

a pixel array part in which a plurality of pixels with different characteristics of spectral sensitivity are arranged in an array and which converts light transmitted through the pixel into an electric signal,

wherein in the pixel array part,

among a first color filter pixel having a peak of spectral sensitivity characteristics in red, a second color filter pixel having a peak in blue, and a third color filter pixel having a peak in green, each including a color filter, at least a plurality of the first color filter pixels and the second color filter pixels is arranged in an oblique pixel array system,

a clear pixel having a high transmittance is arranged in an oblique pixel array system at a given position of a given row and a given column in the oblique pixel array with respect to the first color filter pixel, the second color filter pixel, and the third color filter pixel, and

a read channel exclusive for the clear pixel and a read channel exclusive for the color filter pixel are separately provided,

the method comprising the step of;

separately performing electronic shutter drive for the clear pixel and for the color filter pixel.

15. A camera system comprising:

an imaging device;

an optical system operable to lead incident light to an imaging part of the imaging device; and

a signal processing circuit operable to process an output signal of the imaging device,

wherein the imaging device includes;

a pixel array part in which a plurality of pixels with different characteristics of spectral sensitivity are arranged in an array and which converts light transmitted through the pixel into an electric signal,

wherein in the pixel array part,

among a first color filter pixel having a peak of spectral sensitivity characteristics in red, a second color filter pixel having a peak in blue, and a third color filter pixel having a peak in green, each including a color filter, at least a plurality of the first color filter pixels and the second color filter pixels is arranged in an oblique pixel array system,

a clear pixel having a high transmittance is arranged in an oblique pixel array system at a given position of a given row and a given column in the oblique pixel array with respect to the first color filter pixel, the second color filter pixel, and the third color filter pixel,

a read channel exclusive for the clear pixel and a read channel exclusive for the color filter pixel are separately provided, and

a function is provided that separately performs electronic shutter drive for the clear pixel and for the color filter pixel.

16. A camera system comprising:

an imaging device;

an optical system operable to lead incident light to an imaging part of the imaging device; and

a signal processing circuit operable to process an output signal of the imaging device,

wherein the imaging device includes;

a pixel array part in which a plurality of pixels with different characteristics of spectral sensitivity are arranged in an array and which converts light transmitted through the pixel into an electric signal,

wherein in the pixel array part,

among a first color filter pixel having a peak of spectral sensitivity characteristics in red, a second color filter pixel having a peak in blue, and a third color filter pixel having a peak in green, each including a color filter, at least a plurality of the first color filter pixels and the second color filter pixels is arranged in an array,

a clear pixel having a high transmittance is arranged at a given position of a given row and a given column in the array pixel arrangement with respect to the first color filter pixel, the second color filter pixel, and the third color filter pixel,

a read channel exclusive for the clear pixel and a read channel exclusive for the color filter pixel are separately provided, and

a function is provided that separately performs electronic shutter drive for the clear pixel and for the color filter pixel.