PHASE-DETECT AUTOFOCUS

• US 20160205311A1
• Filed: 01/14/2016
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InVisage Technologies, Inc. (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InVisage Technologies, Inc. (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Chow, Gregory, Kolli, Naveen, Mandelli, Emanuele
• Granted Patent: US 9,973,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/346 using horizontal and vertical areas in the pupil plane, i.e. wide area autofocusing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/672 based on the phase difference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/704 Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets

Abstract

In various embodiments, methods, techniques, and related apparatuses for phase-detect autofocus devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a phase-detect system includes a first color filter formed over a first pixel and a second pixel formed adjacent to the first pixel with a second color filter being formed over the second pixel. The second color filter has a color different from a color of the first color filter. A micro-lens spans the first pixel and the second pixel, configured to capture a phase difference in spatial frequency information present in an imaged scene. The first pixel and the second pixel are placed adjacent to each other in at least one of a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, and/or a diagonal direction, with an arrangement of the two pixels being replicated at either regular and/or irregular intervals across the sensor. Other methods and apparatuses are disclosed.

Claims

1. A phase-detect system, comprising:

a first pixel as a first component of the phase-detect system;

a first color filter formed over the first pixel;

a second pixel as a second component of the phase-detect system, the second pixel being adjacent to the first pixel;

a second color filter formed over the second pixel, the second color filter having a color different from a color of the first color filter; and

a micro-lens spanning the first pixel and the second pixel, configured to capture a phase difference in spatial frequency information present in an imaged scene, the first pixel and the second pixel being placed adjacent to each other in at least one direction selected from directions including a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, and a diagonal direction, an arrangement of the two pixels being replicated in at least one interval including intervals of regular intervals and irregular intervals across the sensor.

2. The phase-detect system of claim 1, wherein the first color filter substantially passes red light and substantially blocks blue light and green light, and wherein the second color filter substantially passes green light and substantially blocks blue light and red light.

3. The phase-detect system of claim 1, wherein the first color filter and the second color filter employ at least one material that simultaneously blocks certain wavelengths of light and passes certain wavelengths of light.

4. The phase-detect system of claim 1, wherein the first color filter and the second color filter are each separately configured to selectively pass at least one wavelength of light chosen from wavelengths of light corresponding to red, green, blue, and infrared light.

5. The phase-detect system of claim 1, wherein the first color filter and the second color filter are each separately configured to selectively block at least one wavelength of light chosen from wavelengths of light corresponding to red, green, blue, and infrared light.

6. The phase-detect system of claim 1, wherein the sensor incorporates a standard Bayer RGB color filter pattern across the sensor on all pixels, and wherein a plurality of the pixels comprise phase-detect autofocus pixels having specific color filters.

7. The phase-detect system of claim 6, further comprising an optically sensitive layer under the specific color filters for light absorption and photo-detection.

8. The phase-detect system of claim 1, wherein the sensor incorporates an RGB-IR color filter pattern across the sensor on all pixels, wherein a plurality of the pixels comprise phase-detect autofocus pixels having specific color filters.

9. The phase-detect system of claim 8, further comprising an optically sensitive layer that is sensitive to visible and infrared light under the specific color filters for light absorption and photo-detection.

10. The phase-detect system of claim 1, wherein, under a first set of light conditions, the phase-detect autofocus pixels under a green color filter array are to be used by an auto-focus system, and wherein, under a second set of light conditions, the phase-detect autofocus pixels under a second color filter are to be used by the auto-focus system, wherein the second color filter includes one color filter selected from color filters including blue, red, and infrared color filters.

11. The phase-detect system of claim 1, wherein a standard Bayer RGB color filter pattern or an RGB-IR color filter pattern is employed across the sensor on all pixels, with phase-detect autofocus pixels employing specific color filters.

12. The phase-detect system of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a silicon-based CMOS sensor employing frontside illumination (FSI) is to be used for light absorption and photo-detection.

13. The phase-detect system of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a silicon-based CMOS sensor employing backside illumination (BSI) is to be used for light absorption and photo-detection.

14. The phase-detect system of claim 11, wherein, under a first set of light conditions, the phase-detect autofocus pixels under a green color filter array are to be used by the auto-focus system, and wherein, under a second set of light conditions, the phase-detect autofocus pixels under a second color filter are to be used by the auto-focus system, wherein the second color filter includes one color filter selected from color filters including blue, red, and infrared color filters.

15. The phase-detect system of claim 1, wherein only an infrared-passing color filter is employed across the sensor on all pixels, including phase-detect autofocus pixels, and an optically sensitive layer that is sensitive to infrared light is employed under the infrared-passing color filter for light absorption and photo-detection.

16. An image sensor comprising multiple phase-detect autofocus regions, each of the multiple phase-detect autofocus regions comprising:

a first pixel;

a first color filter formed over the first pixel;

a second pixel, the second pixel being adjacent to the first pixel; and

a second color filter formed over the second pixel, the second color filter having a color different from a color of the first color filter.

17. The image sensor of claim 16, wherein data acquired from the multiple phase-detect autofocus regions are corrected to equalize a signal, in a given color, relative to that acquired for the same incident intensity and color when acquired over non-phase-detect-autofocus-region pixels.

18. The image sensor of claim 16, wherein the image sensor includes regions of a Bayer pattern RGGB color filter array layout.

19. The image sensor of claim 16, wherein the image sensor includes regions of R, G, B, and IR color filters.