Solid-state color imaging apparatus

• US 4,437,112 A
• Filed: 02/10/1981
• Issued: 03/13/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Seiji, Kuwayama, Tetsuro, Tanaka, Nobuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Richard
• Application Number:
  US06/233,096
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 358/44, 358/48
• US Class Current: 348/279
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/84 for processing colour signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/133 including elements passing panchromatic light, e.g. filters passing white light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/135 based on four or more different wavelength filter elements

Abstract

There is disclosed a solid-state color imaging apparatus which comprises an imaging device composed of a solid-state charge-coupled device having a plurality of cells each of which has at least two potential wells and color filter having a combination of color filter elements which are positioned corresponding to the two potential wells in such a manner as to provide different spectral sensitivities to the two potential wells.

Claims

1. A color imaging apparatus comprising:

a plurality of imaging cells which function as picture elements for forming an image signal;

a plurality of potential wells formed in each imaging cell; and

a filter having filter elements positioned corresponding to each potential well in such a manner as to provide different spectral sensitivities to each potential well.

2. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control means for mixing the signal charges formed in said potential wells of each imaging cell.

3. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cells are composed of a frame-transfer type charge-coupled device.

4. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an imaging device having a plurality of said cells, wherein said filter positioned on said cells is provided with filter elements having four different spectral sensitivities and opaque elements.

5. A solid-state color imaging apparatus comprising:

a plurality of imaging cells which function as picture elements for forming an image signal;

a plurality of independent potential wells formed in each imaging cell;

mutually different color filter elements positioned respectively corresponding to said potential wells; and

means for mixing signal charges accumulated in a plurality of potential wells of each imaging cell thereby providing color signals.

6. A solid-state color imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said cells are composed of a frame-transfer charge-coupled device, and said color filter is composed of repeated sets of elements transmitting red, blue, green and magenta light components, and of opaque elements.

7. A solid-state color imaging apparatus comprising:

a plurality of imaging cells which function as picture elements for forming an image signal;

a plurality of potential wells of substantially different photoelectric converting sensitivities formed in each imaging cell;

different color filter elements positioned corresponding to the photoelectric converting sensitivities of each potential wells; and

means for mixing signal charges accumulated in said different potential wells of each imaging cell thereby providing color signals.

8. A solid-state color imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of said cells is provided with plural electrodes, at least one of which is composed of a transparent electrode.

9. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of color filter elements of four different spectral sensitivities are provided on each imaging cell.

10. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said color filter of four different spectral sensitivities is composed of filter elements respectively transmitting red, blue, green and magenta components.

11. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said color filter of four different spectral sensitivities is composed of filter elements respectively having elementary colors and complementary colors.

12. A color imaging apparatus comprising:

means for forming a luminance signal and color signal from a signal obtained from an imaging device;

means for forming a detection signal from a signal obtained from said imaging device and from a signal corresponding to the saturation level of said imaging device; and

means for processing said detection signal with the luminance signal and color component signal.

13. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said process means comprises adding means.

14. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said imaging device is composed of a solid-state imaging device.

15. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of imaging cells which function as picture elements for forming an image signal and capable of forming at least two potential wells in each imaging cell.

16. A solid-state color imaging apparatus for providing luminance signal and color signals by operating upon multiplication of each predetermined coefficient on output of a plurality of picture elements for a color television system, wherein the coefficients to be multiplied on the output signals from an imaging device are so selected as to obtain a substantially symmetrical distribution of the effective sensitivity in a predetermined direction of the image frame.

17. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein at least one of said color signals is obtained as the average of a directly obtained color signal and a color signal delayed by one horizontal line scanning time.

18. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 16, comprising at least an element for delaying the signal for a horizontal line scanning time in the signal processing circuit for calculating said color signals, thereby obtaining the average with the undelayed signal.

19. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said imaging device is a frame-transfer type charge-coupled device.

20. A color imaging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said color filter is composed of repeated sets of filter elements respectively transmitting red, blue, green and magenta components and of opaque elements.

21. A solid-state color imaging apparatus provided with a plurality of imaging cells which function as picture elements for forming an image signal with at least two potential wells formed in each imaging cell of a solid-state imaging device and different color filter elements positioned respectively corresponding to said potential wells and adapted to mix the signal charges accumulated in said potential wells of each imaging cell and to process upon multiplication of each predetermined coefficient on each mixed charge for obtaining the luminance signal and color signals for a color television system, comprising means for determining the coefficients to be multiplied to the output signals of said cells in such a manner as to obtain a substantially symmetrical distribution of the effective sensitivity in a predetermined direction of the image frame.

22. A solid-state color imaging apparatus according to claim 21, comprising means for providing at least one of said color signals as the average of a directly obtained color signal and a color signal delayed for a horizontal line scanning time.

23. A solid-state color imaging apparatus according to claim 21, comprising at least an element for delaying the signal for a horizontal scanning time in the signal processing circuit for calculating said color signals thereby obtaining the average with the undelayed signal.

24. A solid-state color imaging apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said imaging device is a frame-transfer type charge-coupled devie, and said color filter is composed of repeated sets of filter elements respectively transmitting red, blue, green and magenta components and of opaque elements.