SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, CAMERA, VEHICLE AND SURVEILLANCE DEVICE

• US 20080158359A1
• Filed: 11/06/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: TAKEDA, Katsumi
• Application Number:
  US11/935,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20080158359A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10021 Stereoscopic video; Stereoscopic image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/596 from three or more stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/218 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/257 Colour aspects

Abstract

The solid-state imaging device according to the present invention includes: an imaging unit which includes photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix in a region having a first imaging region and a second imaging region; a first light introduction unit which guides and introduces light into the first imaging region; a second light introduction unit provided apart from the first light introduction unit and which guide and introduces light into the second imaging region; an output unit which: converts signal charge, which the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in the first imaging region have photoelectrically converted, into voltage or current and outputs the converted voltage or current as a first video signal; and converts signal charge, which the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in the second imaging region have photoelectrically converted, into voltage or current, and outputs the converted voltage or current as a second video signal; and a calculation unit which calculates information related to distance to an object using the first video signal and the second video signal outputted by the output unit; wherein the imaging unit, the output unit and the calculation unit are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.

Claims

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

an imaging unit which includes photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix in a region having a first imaging region and a second imaging region;

a first light introduction unit operable to guide and introduce light into said first imaging region;

a second light introduction unit provided apart from said first light introduction unit and operable to guide and introduce light into said second imaging region;

an output unit operable to;

convert signal charge, which the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in said first imaging region have photoelectrically converted, into voltage or current and output the converted voltage or current as a first video signal; and

convert signal charge, which the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in said second imaging region have photoelectrically converted, into voltage or current, and output the converted voltage or current as a second video signal; and

a calculation unit operable to calculate information related to distance to an object using the first video signal and the second video signal outputted by said output unit;

wherein said imaging unit, said output unit and said calculation unit are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein said calculation unit includes:

a first holding unit operable to hold the first video signal and the second video signal outputted by said output unit;

a difference calculation unit operable to calculate a parallax for the object using the first video signal and the second video signal held by said first holding unit; and

a second holding unit operable to hold the parallax calculated by said difference calculation unit.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2,

wherein said difference calculation unit includes:

a shift unit operable to repeat a process of horizontally shifting m (any integer not less than

     1) rows of pixels in the first video signal held by said first holding unit by a predetermined amount of pixels for a predetermined number of times;

a difference calculation unit operable to calculate an absolute value of the difference in signal level for each pixel included in a video signal in shifted m rows of pixels by said shift unit, and for the m rows of the second video signal held by said first holding unit, every time the process is performed by said shift unit the predetermined number of times;

an addition unit operable to calculate a sum of n (any integer not less than

     1) columns of absolute values of the difference calculated by said difference calculation unit every time the process is performed by said shift unit the predetermined number of times;

a control unit operable to hold in said second holding unit the sum calculated by said addition unit and the number of shifts executed by said shift unit when the sum calculated by said addition unit is smaller than the sum held by said second holding unit, every time the process is performed by said shift unit the predetermined number of times; and

said second holding unit is operable to output the held number of times the process is performed as the parallax after the predetermined number of processes have been completed by said shift unit.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3,

wherein said difference calculation unit is operable to calculate the parallax for each m1 (any integer not less than 1) rows×

n1 (any integer not less than

     1) columns inputted from outside,

said shift unit is operable to repeat the process of shifting pixels in m1 rows of the first video signal held by said first holding unit by a predetermined number of pixels, the predetermined number of times,

said difference calculation unit is operable to calculate an absolute value of the difference in signal level for each pixel included in a video signal which said shift unit has shifted by m1 rows of pixels, and for the m1 rows of the second video signal held by said first holding unit, every time the process is performed by said shift unit the predetermined number of times, and

said addition unit is operable to calculate a sum of n1 columns of absolute values of the difference calculated by said difference calculation unit, each time a process is performed by said shift unit the predetermined number of times.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein said first light introduction unit includes:

a first collection unit operable to collect light of a first frequency band in said first imaging region;

a first filter formed on said first imaging region, which allows light of a third frequency band that is included in the first frequency band to pass;

a second collection unit operable to collect light of a second frequency band, which differs from the first frequency band, in said second imaging region; and

a second filter formed on said second imaging region, which allows light of a fourth frequency band, which is included in the second frequency band, to pass.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a third imaging region which includes photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix;

a third light introduction unit operable to guide and introduce light to said third imaging region;

wherein said third light introduction unit includes;

a third collection unit operable to collect light of a fifth frequency band, which includes the first frequency band and the second frequency band, in said third imaging region;

a third filter formed on the third imaging region, and

said third filter includes;

a fourth filter formed on first photoelectric conversion elements, which blocks light of the second frequency band and allows light of the third frequency band to pass, the first photoelectric conversion elements being included in photoelectric conversion elements included in said third imaging region; and

a fifth filter formed on second photoelectric conversion elements, which blocks light of the first frequency band and allows light of the fourth frequency band to pass, the second photoelectric conversion elements being included in photoelectric conversion elements included in said third imaging region.

7. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 6, further comprising:

an average value calculation unit operable to calculate a first average value which is an average value of the signals photoelectrically converted by the first photoelectric conversion elements and a second average value which is an average value of the signals photoelectrically converted by the second photoelectric conversion elements; and

a correction unit operable to correct the first video signal and the second video signal based on a ratio of the first average value and the second average value calculated by said average value calculation unit.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 5,

wherein said first filter and said second filter respectively include:

a first dielectric layer;

a second dielectric layer; and

an insulator layer which is formed between said first dielectric layer and said second dielectric layer; and

wherein an optical film thickness of said insulator layer differs from an optical film thickness of said first dielectric layer and said second dielectric layer.

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a light source which projects a light onto an object with light of a frequency band that includes the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 5,

wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are included in a near-infrared region.

11. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein said output unit includes:

conversion units operable to convert signal charge photoelectrically converted by each column of the photoelectric conversion elements into a digital signal, and to output the digital signal as the first video signal or the second video signal.

12. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2,

wherein said calculation unit further includes:

a replacement unit operable to compare the parallax held by said second holding unit and a predetermined range, and when the parallax is not included in the predetermined range, to replace the first video signal and the second video signal corresponding to the parallax with a predetermined image, and to output the predetermined image.

13. A camera comprising:

an imaging unit which includes photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix in a region having a first imaging region and a second imaging region;

a first light introduction unit operable to guide and introduce light into said first imaging region;

a second light introduction unit provided apart from said first light introduction unit and operable to guide and introduce light into said second imaging region;

an output unit operable to;

convert signal charge, which the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in said first imaging region have photoelectrically converted, into voltage or current and output the converted voltage or current as a first video signal; and

convert signal charge, which the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in said second imaging region have photoelectrically converted, into voltage or current, and output the converted voltage or current as a second video signal; and

a calculation unit operable to calculate information related to distance to an object using the first video signal and the second video signal outputted by said output unit;

wherein said imaging unit, said output unit and said calculation unit are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.

14. A vehicle comprising:

an imaging unit which includes photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix in a region having a first imaging region and a second imaging region;

a first light introduction unit operable to guide and introduce light into said first imaging region;

a second light introduction unit provided apart from said first light introduction unit and operable to guide and introduce light into said second imaging region;

an output unit operable to;

convert signal charge, which the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in said first imaging region have photoelectrically converted, into voltage or current and output the converted voltage or current as a first video signal; and

convert signal charge, which the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in said second imaging region have photoelectrically converted, into voltage or current, and output the converted voltage or current as a second video signal; and

a calculation unit operable to calculate information related to distance to an object using the first video signal and the second video signal outputted by said output unit;

wherein said imaging unit, said output unit and said calculation unit are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.

15. A surveillance device comprising:

an imaging unit which includes photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix in a region having a first imaging region and a second imaging region;

a first light introduction unit operable to guide and introduce light into said first imaging region;

a second light introduction unit provided apart from said first light introduction unit and operable to guide and introduce light into said second imaging region;

an output unit operable to;

convert signal charge, which the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in said first imaging region have photoelectrically converted, into voltage or current and output the converted voltage or current as a first video signal; and

convert signal charge, which the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in said second imaging region have photoelectrically converted, into voltage or current, and output the converted voltage or current as a second video signal; and

a calculation unit operable to calculate information related to distance to an object using the first video signal and the second video signal outputted by said output unit;

wherein said imaging unit, said output unit and said calculation unit are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.