Light sensitivity in image sensors

• US 7,893,976 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2006
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Hamilton, John F. Jr., O'Brien, Michele, Compton, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, NELSON D
• Application Number:
  US11/565,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20080130073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 348272-293, 348/222.1, 348/223.1
• US Class Current: 348/277
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2209/045 using mosaic colour filter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• 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

An image sensor is disclosed for capturing a color image, comprising a two-dimensional array of pixels having a plurality of minimal repeating unit wherein each repeating unit is composed of eight pixels having five panchromatic pixels and three pixels having different color responses.

Claims

1. An image sensor for capturing a color image, comprising a two-dimensional array of pixels having a plurality of minimal repeating units wherein each repeating unit is composed of eight pixels having five panchromatic pixels and three pixels having different color responses, the eight pixels of the minimal repeating unit arranged as follows:

2. The image sensor of claim 1 wherein A, B, and C represent pixels with color responses individually selected from red, green, or blue responses.

3. The image sensor of claim 1 wherein A, B, and C represent pixels with color responses that are each respectively red, green, and blue responses.

4. The image sensor of claim 1 wherein A, B, and C represent pixels with color responses individually selected from cyan, magenta, and yellow responses.

5. The image sensor of claim 1 wherein A, B, and C represent pixels with color responses that are each respectively cyan, yellow, and magenta responses.

6. The image sensor of claim 1 wherein the panchromatic pixels comprise pixels of at least two different photographic speeds.

7. The image sensor of claim 6 having the following minimal repeating unit: