JP-2026075557-A - Image sensor and image sensing system including the same

Abstract

[Problem] To improve the arrangement structure of high-sensitivity and low-sensitivity pixels for HDR. [Solution] An image sensor 100 according to one embodiment includes a first pixel block PXB1 containing a plurality of first pixel groups PGR, PGGb, PGGr, and PGB arranged in a Bayer pattern, and a second pixel block PXB2 located adjacent to the first pixel block PXB1 in a first direction X and containing a plurality of second pixel groups PGR, PGGb, PGGr, and PGB arranged in a Bayer pattern, wherein each of the first pixel group and the second pixel group includes first pixels H1, H2 and second pixels L1, L2 having different light sensitivities, and the first pixel H1 in the first pixel group of the first pixel block PXB1 and the first pixel H2 in the second pixel group of the second pixel block PXB2 can be located opposite each other. [Selection Diagram] Figure 4

Inventors

• 鈴木 祐太

Assignees

• エスケーハイニックス株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20250128

Priority Date

20241022

Claims (20)

1. A first pixel block comprising a plurality of first pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern; and a second pixel block located adjacent to the first pixel block in a first direction and comprising a plurality of second pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern, Each of the first pixel group and the second pixel group includes a first pixel and a second pixel having different light sensitivities from each other. An image sensor in which the first pixel in the first pixel group and the first pixel in the second pixel group are located opposite each other.
2. The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein in each of the first and second pixel groups, the first pixel and the second pixel share one microlens.
3. The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first pixel in the first pixel group and the first pixel in the second pixel group are positioned opposite each other in the first direction.
4. The first pixels in the first pixel group are arranged in a 2x1 configuration on one side in the first direction within the first pixel group. The image sensor according to claim 3, wherein the first pixels in the second pixel group are arranged in a 2x1 configuration on one side opposite to the first direction within the second pixel group.
5. The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first pixel in the first pixel group and the first pixel in the second pixel group are positioned opposite each other in a second direction that intersects the first direction.
6. The first pixels in the first pixel group are arranged in a 1x2 configuration on one side in the second direction within the first pixel group. The image sensor according to claim 5, wherein the first pixels in the second pixel group are arranged in a 1x2 configuration on one side opposite to the second direction within the second pixel group.
7. A third pixel block comprising a plurality of third pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern, located adjacent to the first pixel block in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and a fourth pixel block comprising a plurality of fourth pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern, located adjacent to the third pixel block in the first direction, Each of the plurality of third pixel groups and the plurality of fourth pixel groups includes the first pixel and the second pixel, The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first pixel in the plurality of third pixel groups and the first pixel in the plurality of fourth pixel groups are located opposite each other.
8. The first pixel in the first pixel group and the first pixel in the second pixel group are positioned opposite each other in the first direction. The image sensor according to claim 7, wherein the first pixel in the third pixel group and the first pixel in the fourth pixel group are positioned opposite each other in the second direction.
9. A first pixel block comprising a plurality of first pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern; and a second pixel block located adjacent to the first pixel block in a first direction and comprising a plurality of second pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern, Each of the first pixel group and the second pixel group includes a plurality of first pixels and at least one second pixel having different light sensitivities from each other. An image sensor in which the first arrangement pattern of the plurality of first pixels in the first pixel group and the second arrangement pattern of the plurality of first pixels in the second pixel group are symmetrical with respect to each other in the first direction.
10. The image sensor according to claim 9, wherein in each of the first pixel group and the second pixel group, the plurality of first pixels and the at least one second pixel share a single microlens.
11. The image sensor according to claim 9, wherein the first arrangement pattern has a "┌" shape and the second arrangement pattern has a "┐" shape.
12. The image sensor according to claim 9, wherein the first arrangement pattern has a "┘" shape, and the second arrangement pattern has a "└" shape.
13. The image sensor according to claim 9, wherein the center of the first arrangement pattern and the center of the second arrangement pattern are located on the same line in the first direction.
14. The third pixel block further includes a plurality of third pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern, located adjacent to the first pixel block in a second direction intersecting the first direction, Each of the plurality of third pixel groups comprises the plurality of first pixels and at least one second pixel, and the plurality of first pixels in the third pixel group have a third arrangement pattern. The image sensor according to claim 9, wherein the first arrangement pattern and the third arrangement pattern are symmetrical with respect to each other in the second direction.
15. The image sensor according to claim 14, wherein the third arrangement pattern has a "└" shape or a "┐" shape.
16. The image sensor according to claim 14, wherein the center of the first arrangement pattern and the center of the third arrangement pattern are located on the same line in the second direction.
17. An image sensor that converts an optical signal to a subject into an electrical signal and includes a plurality of unit pixels having different optical sensitivities, and generates a first parallax image for a first direction and a second parallax image for a second direction intersecting the first direction using unit pixels having the same optical sensitivity among the plurality of unit pixels; and an image sensing system that includes a parallax calculation unit that calculates the parallax in the first direction by comparing the first parallax images with each other and calculates the parallax in the second direction by comparing the second parallax images with each other.
18. The aforementioned image sensor is A first pixel block comprising a plurality of first pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern; and a second pixel block located adjacent to the first pixel block in the first direction and comprising a plurality of second pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern, Each of the first pixel group and the second pixel group includes a first pixel and a second pixel having different light sensitivities from each other. The image sensing system according to claim 17, wherein the first pixel in the first pixel group and the first pixel in the second pixel group are located opposite each other.
19. The aforementioned image sensor is A first pixel block comprising a plurality of first pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern; and a second pixel block located adjacent to the first pixel block in a first direction and comprising a plurality of second pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern, Each of the first pixel group and the second pixel group includes a plurality of first pixels and at least one second pixel having different light sensitivities from each other. The image sensing system according to claim 17, wherein the first arrangement pattern of the plurality of first pixels in the first pixel group and the second arrangement pattern of the plurality of first pixels in the second pixel group are symmetrical with respect to each other in the first direction.
20. The third pixel block further includes a plurality of third pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern, located adjacent to the first pixel block in a second direction intersecting the first direction, Each of the plurality of third pixel groups comprises the plurality of first pixels and at least one second pixel, and the plurality of first pixels in the third pixel group have a third arrangement pattern. The image sensing system according to claim 19, wherein the first arrangement pattern and the third arrangement pattern are symmetrical with respect to each other in the second direction.

Description

This invention relates to an image sensor capable of generating parallax images and an image sensing system capable of detecting parallax for autofocus using these parallax images. An image sensor is a device that converts optical images into electrical signals. Recently, with the development of the computer and communications industries, the demand for image sensors with improved integration and performance has increased in diverse fields such as digital cameras, camcorders, PCS (Personal Communication Systems), video game equipment, security cameras, medical microcameras, and robotics. This is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of an image sensing system according to one embodiment of the present invention.This is a block diagram that shows the structure of the image sensor in Figure 1 in more detail.This figure illustrates the structure of one of the pixel blocks in the pixel array shown in Figure 2.This figure illustrates the structure of a portion of the pixel array in Figure 2 where pixel blocks are arranged in a continuous pattern.This figure illustrates a method for generating a horizontal parallax image using the pixel blocks in Figure 4 and calculating the horizontal parallax.This figure illustrates a method for generating a vertical parallax image using the pixel blocks in Figure 4 and calculating the vertical parallax.This figure shows a pixel arrangement structure according to another embodiment of the present invention.This figure illustrates a method for generating a horizontal parallax image using the pixel blocks in Figure 6 and calculating the horizontal parallax.This figure illustrates a method for generating a vertical parallax image using the pixel blocks in Figure 6 and calculating the vertical parallax.This diagram exemplifies the case where the centers of the corresponding arrangement patterns are located on the same line in the first direction, and the vertical positions of the left parallax image and the right parallax image are aligned.This diagram illustrates a case where the centers of the corresponding placement patterns do not lie on the same line, making it impossible to align the vertical positions of the left and right parallax images.This diagram exemplifies the case where the centers of the corresponding arrangement patterns are located on the same line in the second direction, and the left-right positions of the top parallax image and the down parallax image are aligned.This figure shows a pixel arrangement structure according to another embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows a pixel arrangement structure according to another embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to illustrative drawings. It should be noted that, in assigning reference numerals to the components in each drawing, efforts have been made to use the same reference numerals for identical components, even if they appear in other drawings. Furthermore, in describing embodiments of the present invention, if a detailed explanation of a related known configuration or function is deemed to interfere with understanding the embodiments of the present invention, such detailed explanation will be omitted. Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an image sensing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The image sensing system 10 may include an image sensor 100, a sensing control unit 200, and a disparity calculation unit 300. The image sensor 100 can capture a subject and convert the optical signal to the captured subject into an electrical signal to generate a parallax image. For example, the image sensor 100 may include a plurality of unit pixels that convert the optical signal obtained from capturing a subject into an electrical signal (pixel signal), and the pixel signals output from the plurality of unit pixels can be converted into digital signals using an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to generate a parallax image. The plurality of unit pixels may include high-sensitivity pixels and low-sensitivity pixels for HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging. The sensing conditions of the high-sensitivity pixels and low-sensitivity pixels may be changed based on the control of the sensing control unit 200. Signals generated by some of the high-sensitivity or low-sensitivity pixels may be used as signals for autofocusing. For example, the image sensor 100 can generate a parallax image for autofocusing, and this parallax image may include a high-sensitivity parallax image generated using signals from some of the high-sensitivity pixels, or a low-sensitivity parallax image generated using pixel signals from some of the low-sensitivity pixels. The sensing control unit 200 can control at least one of the exposure time, conversion gain, and analog gain of the image sensor 100 based on pre-configured logic. For example, the sensing control unit 200 can inc