Physical information acquisition method, physical information acquisition device, and semiconductor device

• US 8,981,278 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Toda, Atsushi, Sato, Genta
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US13/926,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/226, 250/336.01, 250/336.05, 250/338.1, 250/339.01, 250/339.05, 348/272, 348/273, 348/278, 348/279, 348/280, 348/162, 348/164, 348/166, 348/277, 257/431, 257/440, 257/443, 257/446, 257/461
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14647 Multicolour imagers having a stacked pixel-element structure, e.g. npn, npnpn or MQW elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/133 including elements passing panchromatic light, e.g. filters passing white light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/136 using complementary colours
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/64 Circuits for processing colour signals H04N9/77 takes precedence; camera processing pipelines for processing colour signals H04N23/84

Abstract

A physical information acquisition method in which a corresponding wavelength region of visible light with at least one visible light detection unit coupled to an image signal processing unit is detected, each said visible light detection unit comprising a color filter adapted to transmit the corresponding wavelength region of visible light; a wavelength region of infrared light with at least one infrared light detection unit coupled to the image signal processing unit is detected; and, with the signal processing unit, a first signal received from the at least one visible light detection unit by subtracting a product from said first signal is corrected, said product resulting from multiplication of a second signal received from the at least one infrared light detection unit and a predetermined coefficient factor.

Claims

1. A solid-state image sensor, comprising:

an array of pixels, wherein the pixels are arranged in a plurality of pixel groups, wherein each pixel group of the plurality of pixel groups includes four pixels, and wherein at least three of the pixels in each pixel group are associated with a filter;

an array of color separating filters, wherein the color separating filters are arranged in a plurality of filter groups, wherein each pixel group of the plurality of pixel groups is associated with a filter group, wherein for each pixel group of the plurality of pixel groups;

a first pixel is associated with a color filter of a first color;

a second pixel is associated with a color filter of a second color;

a third pixel is associated with a color filter of a third color; and

a fourth pixel is one of;

a) associated with an additional filter that is different than the first, second, or third color filters; and

b) not associated with a color separating filter;

wherein

a signal processing unit corrects one or more signals associated with at least one of the first, second, and third pixels by subtracting a portion of a measured infrared light component, wherein the portion of the measured infrared light component is proportional to an intensity of a wavelength region of the infrared light and the portion of the measured infrared light component for the one or more signals associated with the first pixel is different from the portion of the measured infrared light component for the one or more signals associated with the second pixel.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the fourth pixel is associated with a black filter.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the black filter transmits infrared light and blocks visible light.

4. The sensor of claim 3, wherein the first color is green, wherein the second color is blue, and wherein the third color is red.

5. The sensor of claim 3, wherein the first color is magenta, wherein the second color is cyan, and wherein the third color is yellow.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the fourth pixel is not associated with a filter.

7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the fourth pixel is a white correction pixel that receives infrared light and visible light.

8. The sensor of claim 7, wherein the first color is green, wherein the second color is blue, and wherein the third color is red.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the fourth pixel is associated with a green correction filter.

10. The sensor of claim 9, wherein the green correction filter transmits green light and infrared light.

11. The sensor of claim 10, wherein the first color is green, wherein the second color is blue, and wherein the third color is red.

12. The sensor of claim 10, wherein the first color is magenta, wherein the second color is cyan, and wherein the third color is yellow.

13. The sensor of claim 1, wherein each pixel group is a 2×

2 array of pixels, and wherein the pixel groups form a matrix of pixel groups, and wherein the color filters are disposed in a Bayer pattern that is repeated in a horizontal and a vertical direction.

14. The sensor of claim 1, wherein each of the color filters comprises a dielectric layered film.

18. The sensor of claim 10, wherein the fourth pixel is adapted to detect the wavelength region of the infrared light.

15. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

an optical system;

a solid state image sensor, wherein the optical system forms a subject image on the solid state image sensor, the solid state image sensor including;

an array of pixels, wherein the pixels are arranged in a plurality of pixel groups, wherein each pixel group of the plurality of pixel groups includes four pixels, and wherein at least three of the pixels in each pixel group are associated with a filter;

an array of color separating filters, wherein the color separating filters are arranged in a plurality of filter groups, wherein each pixel group of the plurality of pixel groups is associated with a filter group, wherein for each pixel group of the plurality of pixel groups;

a first pixel is associated with a color filter of a first color;

a second pixel is associated with a color filter of a second color;

a third pixel is associated with a color filter of a third color; and

a fourth pixel is one of;

a) associated with an additional filter that is different than the first, second, or third color filters; and

b) not associated with a color separating filter; and

a signal processing unit that corrects one or more signals associated with at least one of the first, second, and third pixels by subtracting a portion of a measured infrared light component, wherein the portion of the measured infrared light component is proportional to an intensity of a wavelength region of the infrared light and the portion of the measured infrared light component for the one or more signals associated with the first pixel is different from the portion of the measured infrared light component for the one or more signals associated with the second pixel.

16. The imaging apparatus of claim 15, wherein fourth pixel is associated with an additional filter that transmits infrared light.

17. The imaging apparatus of claim 16, wherein the additional filter blocks visible light.

19. The imaging apparatus of claim 15, wherein the fourth pixel is adapted to detect the wavelength region of the infrared light.