Imaging systems with phase detection pixels
First Claim
1. An imaging device having an image pixel array with a plurality of phase detection pixels arranged consecutively in a line, wherein the plurality of phase detection pixels comprises:
- first and second photosensitive regions formed in a substrate and covered by a first microlens; and
third and fourth photosensitive regions formed in the substrate and covered by a second microlens, wherein the first microlens is directly adjacent to the second microlens and wherein the second and third photosensitive regions are interposed between the first and fourth photosensitive regions, wherein the first microlens has a first optical axis, wherein the second microlens has a second optical axis, wherein the first and second photosensitive regions are offset from the first optical axis, and wherein the third and fourth photosensitive regions are offset from the second optical axis.
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Abstract
An image sensor may include phase detection pixels that receive and convert incident light into pixel signals. Processing circuitry may use pixel signals from the phase detection pixels to determine an amount by which image sensor optics should be adjusted during automatic focusing operations. Phase detection pixels may include photodiodes with asymmetric angular responses. For example, the center of a photodiode in a phase detection pixel may be offset from the optical center of the microlens that covers that photodiode. A group of two, three, four, or more than four phase detection pixels may be clustered together and covered by a single microlens. Groups of these clusters may be arranged consecutively in a line. Phase data may be gathered using all of the phase detection pixels in the array, and image processing circuitry may determine which phase data to use after the data has been gathered.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An imaging device having an image pixel array with a plurality of phase detection pixels arranged consecutively in a line, wherein the plurality of phase detection pixels comprises:
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first and second photosensitive regions formed in a substrate and covered by a first microlens; and third and fourth photosensitive regions formed in the substrate and covered by a second microlens, wherein the first microlens is directly adjacent to the second microlens and wherein the second and third photosensitive regions are interposed between the first and fourth photosensitive regions, wherein the first microlens has a first optical axis, wherein the second microlens has a second optical axis, wherein the first and second photosensitive regions are offset from the first optical axis, and wherein the third and fourth photosensitive regions are offset from the second optical axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An imaging device having an image pixel array with a group of phase detection pixels located adjacent to one another, wherein the group of phase detection pixels comprises:
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first, second, third, and fourth photosensitive regions formed in a substrate and covered by a microlens; and processing circuitry configured to determine a phase difference signal based on pixel signals from the first, second, third, and fourth photosensitive regions, the imaging device further comprising a second group of phase detection pixel located adjacent to the group of phase detection pixels, wherein the second group of phase detection pixels comprises fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth photosensitive regions formed in the substrate and covered by a second microlens, and wherein the group of phase detection pixels and the second group of phase detection pixels form a 2×
4 sub-array in the image pixel array. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An imaging device having an image pixel array with at least one phase detection pixel, wherein the at least one phase detection pixel comprises:
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a first photosensitive region formed in a substrate and covered by a first microlens, wherein the first microlens has first and second opposing halves, and wherein the first photosensitive region is formed under only the first half of the first microlens; a second photosensitive region formed in the substrate and covered by a second microlens, wherein the second microlens has first and second opposing halves, and wherein the second photosensitive region is formed under only the second half of the second microlens, wherein the first and second microlenses are directly adjacent to one another such that the second half of the first microlens is directly adjacent to the first half of the second microlens, and wherein the substrate has a portion that extends from the first photosensitive region to the second photosensitive region that is free of photosensitive regions. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification