Imaging apparatus adapted to perform normal imaging and high-speed imaging

• US 8,144,206 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2007
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukushima, Yasushi, Mine, Tadami
• Primary Examiner(s): Giles, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/279,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20100220214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 348/262, 348/264, 348/265, 348/220.1, 348/235, 348/234, 348/222.1
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• 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 25/46 by combining or binning pixels

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit having a discrete pixel structure that outputs directly signals of respective M sample points corresponding to M pixels per single frame for normal imaging and imaging at a first frame rate. The imaging unit adds signals of respective N pixels out of M pixels per single frame and outputs signals of M/N sample points (M and N are integers equal to or greater than 2) at each frame for high-speed imaging and imaging at a second frame rate greater than the first frame rate. An operation unit outputs directly output signals from the imaging unit for normal imaging and performs interpolation operations on the output signals from the imaging unit for interpolating signals of the (N−1) sample points between respective sample points to output interpolated signals of the M sample points for high-speed imaging.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

an imaging unit including at least a first solid-state imaging element and a second solid-state imaging element, each solid-state imaging element having a same discrete pixel structure of a frame including a first number M of pixels, the imaging unit being configured to;

1) perform normal imaging and high-speed imaging,

2) output directly imaging signals of a first number M of pixel data from the first solid-state imaging element and the second solid-state imaging element during normal imaging, and

3) mix a second number N of pixel data of the first number M of pixel data to form a third number of pixel data on the first solid-state imaging element and the second solid-state imaging element, the third number being equal to the first number M divided by the second number N (M/N, wherein M and N are integers equal to or greater than

     2), and output the imaging signals of the third number of pixel data during high-speed imaging,

wherein a first combination of the second number N pixel data to be mixed by the first solid-state imaging element is different from a second combination of the second number N pixel data to be mixed by the second solid-state imaging element;

an operation unit configured to output directly the imaging signals of the first number M of pixel data from the imaging unit during the normal imaging, and configured to interpolate (N−

1) pixel data between respective pixel data of the imaging signals from the imaging unit and output interpolated signals of the first number M of pixel data during high-speed imaging, and

a storage unit disposed between the imaging unit and the operation unit configured to store the imaging signals output from the imaging unit and output the stored imaging signals to the operation unit,

wherein the operation unit performs operations on the stored imaging signals output from the storage unit.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein during interpolation, the operation unit is configured to:

1) create first interpolated low-frequency components from the imaging signals output from the first solid-state imaging element,

2) create second interpolated low-frequency components from the imaging signals output from the second solid-state imaging element,

3) add the imaging signals output from the first solid-state imaging element and the imaging signals output from the second solid-state imaging element and create high-frequency components of the added imaging signals,

4) add the first interpolated low-frequency components and the high-frequency components to provide processed signals for the first solid-state imaging element, and

5) add the second interpolated low-frequency components and the high-frequency components to provide processed signals for the second solid-state imaging element.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein during interpolation operations, the operation unit is configured to:

1) insert (N−

1) pixel data having a value of zero (0) between two pixel data of the M/N pixel data of the imaging signals output from the first solid-state imaging element to provide the M pixel data,

2) insert (N−

1) pixel data having a value of zero (0) between two pixel data of the M/N pixel data of the imaging signals output from the second solid-state imaging element in such a way that a sample point having pixel data of non-zero (0) is different from a sample point having pixel data of non-zero (0) of the imaging signals output from the first solid-state imaging element to provide the M pixel data,

3) create first interpolated low-frequency components from the imaging signals of the first solid-state imaging element,

4) create second interpolated low-frequency components from the imaging signals of the second solid-state imaging element,

5) add the imaging signals output from the first solid-state imaging element and the imaging signals output from the second solid-state imaging element at sample points corresponding to each other, and create high-frequency components of the added imaging signals,

6) add the first interpolated low-frequency components and the high-frequency components to provide processed signals for the first solid-state imaging element, and

7) add the second interpolated low-frequency components and the high-frequency components to provide processed signals for the second solid-state imaging element.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit further comprises:

a third solid-state imaging element having a discrete pixel structure of a frame including a second number M of pixels,

wherein during interpolation operations, the operation unit is configured to;

1) create third interpolated low-frequency components from imaging signals output from the third solid-state imaging elements,

2) add the imaging signals output from the first solid-state imaging element and the imaging signals output from the second solid-state imaging element, and create high-frequency components of the added imaging signals, and

3) add the third interpolated low-frequency components and the high-frequency components to provide processed signals for the third solid-state imaging element.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first and second solid-state imaging elements correspond to G1 and G2 channels provided by dividing a G channel into two channels,

the third solid-state imaging element corresponds to a B channel,

wherein the imaging unit further comprises a fourth solid-state imaging element corresponding to an R channel,

wherein imaging signals output from the first and second solid-state imaging elements corresponding to the G1 channel and the G2 channel are added to provide processed signals for the G channel during normal imaging, and

wherein during high-speed imaging, the operation unit is configured to:

1) add the imaging signals output from the first solid-state imaging elements and the imaging signals output from the second solid-state imaging element to provide processed signals for the G channel,

2) create high-frequency component from the imaging signals for the G channel,

3) create third interpolated low-frequency components from imaging signals output from the third solid-state imaging elements,

4) create fourth interpolated low-frequency components form imaging signals output from the fourth solid-state imaging elements,

5) add the third interpolated low-frequency components and the high-frequency components to provide processed signals for the third solid-state imaging element, and

6) add the fourth interpolated low-frequency components and the high-frequency components to provide processed signals for the fourth solid-state imaging element.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit further comprises:

a third solid-state imaging element having a discrete pixel structure of a frame including a second number M of pixels,

wherein during interpolation operations, the operation unit is configured to;

1) insert (N−

1) pixel data having a value of zero (0) between two pixel data of the M/N pixel data of the imaging signals output from the first solid-state imaging element to provide M pixel data,

2) insert signals (N−

1) pixel data having a value of zero (0) between two pixel data of the M/N pixel data of the imaging signals output from the second solid-state imaging element in such a way that a sample point having pixel data of non-zero (0) is different from a sample point having pixel data of non-zero (0) of the imaging signals output from the first solid-state imaging element to provide M pixel data,

3) insert (N−

1) pixel data having a value of zero (0) between two pixel data of the M/N pixel data of the imaging signals output from the third solid-state imaging element in such a way that a sample point having pixel data of non-zero (0) is different from a sample point having pixel data of non-zero (0) of the imaging signals output from the first solid-state imaging element to provide M pixel data,

4) create third interpolated low-frequency components from the imaging signals of the third solid-state imaging element,

5) add the imaging signals output from the first solid-state imaging element and the imaging signals output from the second solid-state imaging element at sample points corresponding to each other, and create high-frequency components of the added imaging signals, and

6) add the third interpolated low-frequency components and the high-frequency components to provide processed signals for the third solid-state imaging element.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second solid-state imaging elements correspond to two channels selected form Green(G), Blue(B), and Red(R) channels.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit outputs a frame rate greater than a frame rate output from the storage unit.