Solid state image sensor with high resolution

• US 4,652,928 A
• Filed: 06/11/1984
• Issued: 03/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Harada, Nozomu, Endo, Yukio, Yoshida, Okio
• Primary Examiner(s): Rubinson, Gene Z.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRINICH, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US06/619,375
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 358/212, 358/213, 358/44, 358/209, 358/41, 250/578
• US Class Current: 348/219.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/48 Increasing resolution by shifting the sensor relative to the scene

Abstract

A solid state image sensing system includes a CCD and a vibration table. The vibration table swing-drives the CCD in response to a drive signal generated by a drive pulse generator, in such a manner that the CCD is vibrated in a horizontal direction in one vibration cycle consisting of two succeeding frame periods each having A and B fields.

Claims

1. An apparatus for picking up incoming image light, said apparatus comprising:

(a) solid-state image sensor means for picking up the image light in accordance with an interlaced scanning technique and for generating signal charges which represent field images for one frame in response to light radiation representing image information, said image sensor means comprising,

a sensing section provided with at least one linear cell array having cells to receive said light radiation and generate and store charges which correspond to said light radiation, and

at least one transferring section arranged adjacent to said at least one linear cell array and extending along said cell array to read out and transfer the charges stored in said sensing section; and

(b) swing-driver means, coupled to said image sensor means, for (i) mechanically vibrating said image sensor means along a horizontal direction substantially perpendicular to said linear cell array in a swing mode such that one vibration period corresponds to first and second frame periods including first to fourth field periods, whereby each cell of said linear cell array is physically shifted from a first sampling position to a second sampling position in said first frame period and then shifted back from said second sampling position to said first sampling position in the succeeding second frame period within said one vibration period, and for (ii) swing-driving said image sensor means in combination with electrical interlaced scanning in such a manner that each cell sequentially generates at least four sampling points corresponding to four pixels arranged in a matrix form on a pickup image screen within an interlaced scanning period corresponding to said one vibration period.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said swing-driver means swing-drives said image sensor means in such a manner that each cell is shifted between said first and second sampling positions in synchronism with said first and second frame periods within said one vibration period, said first to fourth field periods consisting of two field periods included in said first frame period and two field periods included in said second frame period.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said swing-driver means comprises vibration table means for vibrating said image sensor means in such a manner that each cell is shifted from said first sampling position to said second sampling position in said first and second field periods corresponding to said two field periods of said first frame period, while each cell is shifted from said second sampling position to said first sampling position in said third and fourth field periods corresponding to said two field periods of said second frame period.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a color filter member mounted on an image pickup face of said image sensor means which receives the light radiation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said swing-driver means swing-drives said image sensor means in such a manner that each cell is shifted among first to fourth sampling positions aligned in the horizontal direction in accordance with said swing mode having a vibration obtained by combining a first vibration with a first amplitude and a second vibration with a second amplitude, thereby allowing each cell to shift to different image pickup positions relative to said incoming image light at different times within each field period so as to perform an image pickup operation.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said swing-driver means swing-drives said image sensor means in such a manner that each cell is shifted between said first and second sampling positions within said first frame period and between said third and fourth sampling positions within second frame period, each cell being sequentially positioned in said first and second sampling positions within said first field period, in said first and second sampling positions within the second field period, in said third and fourth positions within said third field period, and in said fourth and third positions within said fourth period.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, a distance between said second and third sampling positions, which corresponds to the amplitude of said first vibration, is set to half the cell arranging pitch of said cell array, while a distance between said first and fourth sampling positions, which corresponds to the amplitude of said second vibration, is set to substantially two-thirds the cell arranging pitch.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a distance between said second and third sampling positions, which corresponds to the amplitude of said first vibration is set to half the cell arranging pitch of said cell array, while a distance between said first and fourth sampling positions, which corresponds to the amplitude of said second vibration is set to substantially two-thirds the cell arranging pitch.