Imaging apparatus and imaging method for outputting a specified number of pixels in a specified area
First Claim
1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
- an image sensor having a two-dimensional array of pixels, each of the pixels comprising an element operable to produce an electric charge by photoelectrically converting light from an imaged subject, and a part operable to accumulate the produced charge and output an accumulated charge or a signal representing the accumulated charge;
an area control unit operable to define a specified area of said image sensor containing less than all of said array of pixels; and
an area density control unit operable to specify in said specified area a concentration of said pixels read from the image sensor wherein said concentration of said pixels in the specified area read from the image sensor is greater than a further concentration of said pixels outside of said specified area read from the image sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The resolution, frame rate, or both can be improved when imaging moving subjects in an imaging apparatus using a CMOS image sensor. The imaging apparatus has an image sensor having a two-dimensional array of pixels. Each of the pixels includes an element operable to produce an electric charge by photoelectrically converting light from an imaged subject and a part operable to accumulate the produced charge and output an accumulated charge or a signal representing the accumulated charge. The imaging apparatus also has an area control unit operable to define a specified area of the image sensor containing a plurality of pixels and an area density control unit operable to specify a density of pixels read from the specified area defined by the area control unit.
25 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
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an image sensor having a two-dimensional array of pixels, each of the pixels comprising an element operable to produce an electric charge by photoelectrically converting light from an imaged subject, and a part operable to accumulate the produced charge and output an accumulated charge or a signal representing the accumulated charge; an area control unit operable to define a specified area of said image sensor containing less than all of said array of pixels; and an area density control unit operable to specify in said specified area a concentration of said pixels read from the image sensor wherein said concentration of said pixels in the specified area read from the image sensor is greater than a further concentration of said pixels outside of said specified area read from the image sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An imaging apparatus comprising:
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an image sensor having a two-dimensional array of pixels, each of the pixels comprising an element operable to produce an electric charge by photoelectrically converting light from an imaged subject and a part operable to accumulate the produced charge and output an accumulated charge or a signal representing the accumulated charge; and an area concentration control unit operable to segment said image sensor into a plurality of specified areas and to specify in each of said areas a respective concentration of said pixels read from the image sensor wherein concentration of pixels in one of said areas read from the image sensor is greater than concentration of pixels in another of said areas read from the image sensor. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification