Imaging Sensor Pixel Sets With Variable Pupil Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional imaging systems face challenges in acquiring a phase difference of an image signal with high accuracy due to changes in the entrance pupil diameter of the main lens, especially when the lens is replaced or zoomed, leading to inadequate pupil correction.
Innovation Solution
An imaging element with a light receiving unit featuring a lattice-pattern array of photoelectric conversion elements and lenses, where adjacent pixel sets have different pupil correction amounts, allowing for accurate phase difference acquisition across a wider entrance pupil diameter range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fixed pupil correction amount is applied to each pixel in a pixel array, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the phase difference acquisition accuracy deteriorates when the entrance pupil diameter changes due to lens replacement or zoom operations
Solution Approach 1:
The pixel array is divided into multiple pixel sets, where each pixel set includes a plurality of pixels. Different pupil correction amounts are applied to different pixel sets based on their position in the image height direction. This segmentation allows the system to handle different entrance pupil diameter conditions across various zoom settings while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different pupil correction amounts are assigned to different pixel sets according to their local position (image height) in the pixel array. This local quality approach ensures that each region of the pixel array has the appropriate pupil correction for its specific optical path, improving phase difference acquisition accuracy across the entire field of view while adapting to changing entrance pupil diameters.
2Measurement precision
If the pupil correction amount is increased to maintain accuracy across different lens conditions, then the phase difference acquisition accuracy improves, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic pupil correction strategy where the correction amount varies by pixel set position rather than being uniform. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to different optical conditions (lens replacement, zoom operations) without requiring excessive manufacturing precision, as each pixel set is corrected according to its specific operational context.
Solution Approach 2:
The pupil correction amount is changed as a parameter based on the image height position of different pixel sets. By varying this parameter across the pixel array, the system maintains phase difference acquisition accuracy under different optical conditions without imposing stringent uniform manufacturing precision requirements on all microlenses.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables precise autofocus and parallax detection even with changes in the main lens, enhancing image quality and accuracy across various zoom settings.
Implementation Method 1
a light receiving unit configured to include a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a lattice-pattern array
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging element according to an embodiment includes: a light receiving unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a lattice-pattern array, and a plurality of lenses provided for respective sets of elements on a one-to-one basis, each set of elements including two or more of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged adjacent to each other. In the light receiving unit, among a plurality of pixel sets each including the set of elements and one of the plurality of lenses provided in the set of elements, at least two pixel sets adjacent to each other are different from each other in pupil correction amount.