IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGING DEVICE

• US 20200137279A1
• Filed: 03/30/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: SEO, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 11,272,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/34 using different areas in a pupil plane
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/672 based on the phase difference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/75 by influencing optical camera components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/704 Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/77 Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components

Abstract

An image sensor includes: a first pixel and a second pixel, each of which comprises a first photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts light that has passed through a micro lens and generates a first charge, a second photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts light that has passed through the micro lens and generates a second charge, an accumulation unit that accumulates at least one of the first charge and the second charge, a first transfer unit that transfers the first charge to the accumulation unit, and a second transfer unit that transfers the second charge to the accumulation unit; and a control unit that outputs, to the first transfer unit of the first pixel and to the second transfer unit of the second pixel, a signal that causes the first charge of the first pixel and the second charge of the second pixel to be transferred to their accumulation units.

Claims

1. An image sensor, comprising:

a first pixel and a second pixel, each of which comprises

a first photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts light that has passed through a micro lens and generates a first charge,

a second photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts light that has passed through the micro lens and generates a second charge,

an accumulation unit that accumulates at least one of the first charge and the second charge,

a first transfer unit that transfers the first charge to the accumulation unit, and

a second transfer unit that transfers the second charge to the accumulation unit; and

a control unit that outputs, to the first transfer unit of the first pixel and to the second transfer unit of the second pixel, a signal that causes the first charge of the first pixel and the second charge of the second pixel to be transferred to their accumulation units.

2. The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the control unit outputs, to the first transfer unit of the first pixel and to the second transfer unit of the second pixel, a signal that causes the first charge of the first pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit and also causes the second charge of the second pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit.

3. The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal to the first transfer unit of the first pixel and to the second transfer unit of the second pixel via a signal line that connects the control unit, the first transfer unit of the first pixel, and the second transfer unit of the second pixel.

4. The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal that causes the second charge of the first pixel and the first charge of the second pixel to be transferred to their accumulation units, to the second transfer unit of the first pixel and to the first transfer unit of the second pixel.

5. The image sensor according to claim 4, wherein:

the control unit outputs, to the second transfer unit of the first pixel and to the first transfer unit of the second pixel, a signal that causes the second charge of the first pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit and also causes the first charge of the second pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit.

6. The image sensor according to claim 4, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal to the second transfer unit of the first pixel and to the first transfer unit of the second pixel via a signal line that connects the control unit, the second transfer unit of the first pixel, and the first transfer unit of the second pixel.

7. The image sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third pixel and a fourth pixel, each of which comprises a micro lens, a first photoelectric conversion unit, a second photoelectric conversion unit, an accumulation unit, a first transfer unit, and a second transfer unit, wherein;

the control unit outputs a signal that cause the first charge of the third pixel and the first charge of the fourth pixel to be transferred to their accumulation units, to the first transfer unit of the third pixel and to the first transfer unit of the fourth pixel, and outputs a signal that cause the second charge of the third pixel and the second charge of the fourth pixel to be transferred to their accumulation units, to the second transfer unit of the third pixel and to the second transfer unit of the fourth pixel.

8. The image sensor according to claim 7, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal that causes the first charge of the first pixel, the second charge of the second pixel, the first charge of the third pixel, and the first charge of the fourth pixel to be transferred to their accumulation units, to the first transfer unit of the first pixel, to the second transfer unit of the second pixel, to the first transfer unit of the third pixel, and to the first transfer unit of the fourth pixel.

9. The image sensor according to claim 8, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal that causes the first charge of the first pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit, causes the second charge of the second pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit, causes the first charge of the third pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit, and causes the first charge of the fourth pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit, to the first transfer unit of the first pixel, to the second transfer unit of the second pixel, to the first transfer unit of the third pixel, and to the first transfer unit of the fourth pixel.

10. The image sensor according to claim 8, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal to the first transfer unit of the first pixel, to the second transfer unit of the second pixel, to the first transfer unit of the third pixel, and to the first transfer unit of the fourth pixel, via a signal line that connects the control unit, the first transfer unit of the first pixel, the second transfer unit of the second pixel, the first transfer unit of the third pixel, and the first transfer unit of the fourth pixel.

11. The image sensor according to claim 8, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal that causes the second charge of the first pixel, the first charge of the second pixel, the second charge of the third pixel, and the second charge of the fourth pixel to be transferred to their accumulation units, to the second transfer unit of the first pixel, to the first transfer unit of the second pixel, to the second transfer unit of the third pixel, and to the second transfer unit of the fourth pixel.

12. The image sensor according to claim 11, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal that causes the second charge of the first pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit, causes the first charge of the second pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit, causes the second charge of the third pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit, and causes the second charge of the fourth pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit, to the second transfer unit of the first pixel, to the first transfer unit of the second pixel, to the second transfer unit of the third pixel, and to the second first transfer unit of the fourth pixel.

13. The image sensor according to claim 11, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal to the second transfer unit of the first pixel, to the first transfer unit of the second pixel, to the second transfer unit of the third pixel, and to the second transfer unit of the fourth pixel, via a signal line that connects the control unit, the second transfer unit of the first pixel, the first transfer unit of the second pixel, the second transfer unit of the third pixel, and the second transfer unit of the fourth pixel.

14. The image sensor according to claim 7, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal that causes the first charge of the first pixel and the second charge of the second pixel to be transferred to their accumulation units, to the first transfer unit of the first pixel and to the second transfer unit of the second pixel, and outputs a signal that causes the first charge of the third pixel and the first charge of the fourth pixel to be transferred to their accumulation units, to the first transfer unit of the first pixel and to the first transfer unit of the second pixel.

15. The image sensor according to claim 14, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal that causes the first charge of the first pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit and causes the second charge of the second pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit, and a signal that causes the first charge of the third pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit and causes the first charge of the fourth pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit.

16. The image sensor according to claim 14, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal via a first signal line that connects the control unit, the first transfer unit of the first pixel, and the second transfer unit of the second pixel, and outputs a signal via a signal line that is different from the first signal line and that connects the control unit, the first transfer unit of the third pixel, and the first transfer unit of the fourth pixel.

17. The image sensor according to claim 14, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal that causes the second charge of the first pixel and the first charge of the second pixel to be transferred to their accumulation units, to the second transfer unit of the first pixel and to the first transfer unit of the second pixel, and outputs a signal that causes the second charge of the third pixel and the second charge of the fourth pixel to be transferred to their accumulation units, to the second transfer unit of the third pixel and to the second transfer unit of the fourth pixel.

18. The image sensor according to claim 17, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal that causes the second charge of the first pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit and causes the first charge of the second pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit, and outputs a signal that causes the second charge of the third pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit and causes the second charge of the fourth pixel to be transferred to its accumulation unit.

19. The image sensor according to claim 17, wherein:

the control unit outputs a signal via a second signal line that connects the control unit, the second transfer unit of the first pixel, and the first transfer unit of the second pixel, and outputs a signal via a signal line that is different from the second signal line and that connects the second transfer unit of the third pixel and the second transfer unit of the fourth pixel.

20. The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the first pixel and the second pixel are arranged along a first direction; and

the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit are arranged in sequence along the first direction.

21. The image sensor according to claim 7, wherein:

the first pixel, the second pixel, the third pixel, and the fourth pixel are arranged along a first direction; and

the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit are arranged in sequence along the first direction.

22. The image sensor according to claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of pixels corresponding to the first pixel and the second pixel, arranged along a first direction; and

a plurality of pixels corresponding to the third pixel and the fourth pixel, arranged along the first direction, wherein;

the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit are arranged in sequence along the first direction.

23. An imaging device, comprising:

an image sensor according to claim 1, that captures an image formed by an optical system comprising a focus adjustment optical system; and

a position control unit that controls a position of the focus adjustment optical system based upon a signal based upon a first charge and a signal based upon a second charge outputted respectively from the first pixel and from the second pixel of the image sensor, so that an image formed by the optical system is focused upon the image sensor.

24. An imaging device, comprising:

an image sensor according to claim 1, that captures an image formed by an optical system comprising a focus adjustment optical system; and

a position control unit that controls a position of the focus adjustment optical system based upon at least one set of a signal based upon the first charge of the first pixel and a signal based upon the second charge of the second pixel, and a signal based upon the second charge of the first pixel and a signal based upon the first charge of the second pixel, outputted from the image sensor, so that an image formed by the optical system is focused upon the image sensor.

25. The imaging device according to claim 23, wherein:

the position control unit has

a first mode which controls the position of the focus adjustment optical system based upon at least one set of a signal based upon the first charge of the first pixel and a signal based upon the second charge of the second pixel, and a signal based upon the second charge of the first pixel and a signal based upon the first charge of the second pixel, and

a second mode which controls the position of the focus adjustment optical system based upon at least one set of a signal based upon the first charge of the first pixel and a signal based upon the second charge of the first pixel, and a signal based upon the first charge of the second pixel and a signal based upon the second charge of the second pixel.

26. The imaging device according to claim 25, wherein:

the position control unit changes over between the first mode and the second mode based upon a speed of movement of a photographic subject, or an amount of data or an number of data items per unit time period of a signal outputted from the image sensor, or an amount of deviation between an image focusing surface upon which an image is formed by the optical system and an imaging surface of the image sensor.