JP2006165601A - Imaging apparatus and imaging element - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus and an imaging element applied for imaging an image for e.g., stereoscopic vision and range finding for utilizing a parallax that can simply create the image with respect to the imaging of the stereoscopic vision and easily increase a resolution. <P>SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus separates incident light L1 through a lens 2 into a plurality of luminous fluxes L11, L12 and thereafter uses the imaging elements 11R, 11L whose directivity differ from each other to acquire images SR, SL with the parallax. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus and an image pickup element, and can be applied to, for example, image pickup for stereoscopic viewing and distance measurement using parallax. The present invention separates incident light from a lens into a plurality of light fluxes, and then captures these light fluxes with imaging elements having different directivities to obtain parallax images. It is possible to easily create the resolution and to easily increase the resolution.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image capturing apparatus for stereoscopic viewing has been proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-7994. Here, the imaging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-7994 groups a large number of pixels forming one imaging element, and sets the direction of the incident angle at which the maximum sensitivity is obtained by shielding the on-chip microlens. By making it different in groups, a plurality of images having parallax are captured by devising one image sensor.

  However, there is a problem that it is difficult to create an image pickup device when the direction of the incident angle at which the maximum sensitivity is obtained varies among the groups by shielding the on-chip microlens.

  Also, the resolution is reduced by grouping a large number of pixels that form one image sensor, and if it is intended to secure sufficient resolution, it is necessary to reduce the size and pitch of the pixels. There is a problem that it is difficult to create an element.

As one method for solving these problems, a method of generating two light beams having parallax by devising an optical system and imaging each light beam with an image sensor is conceivable. In this method, the configuration of the optical system is considered. There is a problem that becomes complicated.
JP 2003-7994 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is applicable to an imaging apparatus that can be easily created and can easily increase the resolution regarding stereoscopic imaging, and the imaging apparatus. An image sensor is to be proposed.

  In order to solve such a problem, in the invention of claim 1, the optical system is applied to an imaging device, and a splitting optical system that splits incident light from a lens into a plurality of light beams, and each of the light beams and outputs an imaging result. A plurality of imaging elements, and at least the first and second imaging elements of the plurality of imaging elements are formed to have different directivities, and output imaging results having parallax.

  The invention according to claim 10 is applied to an imaging apparatus that divides incident light from a lens into at least first and second light fluxes and generates an imaging result having a parallax from the first and second light fluxes. The directivity is set to a characteristic biased with respect to the front direction of the imaging surface by applying to an imaging device that receives the first or second light flux and outputs the imaging result.

  According to the configuration of the first aspect, there is provided a splitting optical system that is applied to an imaging apparatus and splits incident light from a lens into a plurality of light beams, and a plurality of image sensors that respectively receive the light beams and output an imaging result. At least the first and second imaging elements of the plurality of imaging elements are formed to have different directivities, and if an imaging result having parallax is output, a light beam having parallax is formed by the optical system. By not having to do so, the configuration of the optical system can be simplified and easily created. Further, in the image pickup device, it is only necessary to change the directivity, so that the image pickup device can be easily created and the resolution can be easily increased.

  Thus, according to the configuration of the tenth aspect, it is possible to provide an imaging device that can be easily created and can easily increase the resolution for imaging related to stereoscopic viewing.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily create a stereoscopic image and easily increase the resolution.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

(1) Configuration of Embodiment FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This imaging device 1 is an imaging device for images for stereoscopic display, captures right-eye and left-eye images having parallax, and outputs right-eye and left-eye image data DR and DL based on the imaging results. To do.

  Here, the lens 2 condenses incident light on the imaging unit 3 by changing a focal length, a focus, and a diaphragm under the control of a controller (not shown). The imaging unit 3 captures a right-eye image and a left-eye image from the light emitted from the lens 2 and outputs right-eye and left-eye imaging signals SR and SL, which are the imaging results. The gamma correction circuits 4R and 4L correct and output the gamma of the imaging signals SR and SL for the right eye and the left eye, respectively. The analog-digital conversion circuits (A / D) 5R and 5L respectively have the gamma correction circuits 4R and 4L. The right-eye and left-eye image signals SR and SL output from the digital signal are subjected to analog-digital conversion processing, and right-eye and left-eye image data DR and DL are output. The signal processing circuits 6R and 6L output the image data DR and DL for the right eye and the left eye, respectively, after adjusting the white balance, and the memory card 7 outputs the right eye and the left eye output from the signal processing circuits 6R and 6L. Image data DR and DL are recorded and held. In this imaging device 1, the memory card 7 is detachably held, and thus the memory card 7 is detached and attached to a display device for stereoscopic viewing, whereby an image acquired by the imaging device 1 is stereoscopically viewed. It can be displayed as a stereoscopic image.

  As a result, the imaging apparatus 1 records the right-eye and left-eye image data DR and DL by processing the right-eye and left-eye imaging results obtained by the imaging unit 3 in parallel. In addition, the memory card 7 is configured to constitute an output means for outputting the imaging result by the image data DR and DL so that the imaging result can be displayed by a display device that displays a stereoscopic image by stereoscopic vision.

  Here, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the imaging unit 3 in detail. The imaging unit 3 decomposes the incident light L1 from the lens 2 into two light beams L11 and L12 having the same incident angle characteristics by the beam splitter 10, and each of the two light beams L11 and L12 is an image sensor 11R for the right eye and the left eye. And 11L.

  Here, the right-eye and left-eye imaging devices 11R and 11L are set such that the direction of the incident angle at which the maximum sensitivity is obtained is deviated from the front direction of the imaging surface, and the deviated directions are set to different directions. As a result, the imaging elements 11R and 11L are formed such that directivity is set to characteristics that are biased with respect to the front direction of the imaging surface, and the directivity is different. The imaging unit 3 outputs the imaging results of the right-eye and left-eye imaging elements 11R and 11L as the imaging signals SR and SL for the right eye and the left eye.

  As a result, in the imaging apparatus 1, after the incident light from the optical system is separated into two light beams having the same incident angle characteristics, each light beam is imaged by the right-eye and left-eye image sensors 11R and 11L, respectively, and the right eye having parallax. As compared with the case where two optical beams having parallax are generated by the optical system, the configuration of the optical system is simplified and further reduced in size. Has been made.

  The right-eye and left-eye image pickup devices 11R and 11L are, for example, CCD solid-state image pickup devices. A photosensor 13 is formed on the semiconductor substrate 12 in a matrix, and a register for sequentially transferring and outputting the accumulated charges by the photosensor 13 is formed. Then, a color filter and an on-chip microlens 14 are formed on the surface. The right-eye and left-eye imaging elements 11R and 11L are set such that the direction of the incident angle at which the sensitivity is maximum is deviated from the front direction of the imaging surface by the setting of the entrance pupil by the on-chip microlens 14.

  Specifically, the imaging device 11R for the right eye is created with the on-chip microlenses 14 biased in the horizontal direction with respect to the photosensor 13 by a predetermined interval TR. Further, the left-eye image pickup device 11L is formed with the on-chip microlenses 14 biased by a predetermined interval TL in the opposite direction to the photosensor 13R with respect to the right-eye image pickup device 11R.

  As a result, the right-eye and left-eye imaging elements 11R and 11L selectively receive light in the arrival directions for the right eye and the left eye, respectively, from the two light beams L11 and L12 separated by the beam splitter 10. The imaging results for the right eye and the left eye having parallax are output.

(2) Operation of Example In the above configuration (FIGS. 1 and 2), the light L1 incident from the lens 2 is separated into two light beams L11 and L12 having the same incident angle characteristics by the beam splitter 10, and each is for the right eye. Then, the light is condensed on the imaging surfaces of the imaging elements 11R and 11L for the left eye. Here, in the right-eye and left-eye imaging devices 11R and 11L, the on-chip microlenses 14 are provided in the opposite directions so that the direction of the incident angle that provides the maximum sensitivity with respect to the imaging surface is different. Since the two light beams L11 and L12 are formed so as to have different directivities, only light from the arrival directions corresponding to the right eye and the left eye is selectively transmitted to the photosensors 13 of the imaging devices 11R and 11L. Incident and photoelectric conversion processing.

  As a result, in the imaging apparatus 1, incident light from one optical system is separated into two light beams L11 and L12 having the same incident angle characteristics, and then received by the imaging elements 11R and 11L for the right eye and the left eye having parallax. The configuration of the optical system can be simplified and further reduced in size as compared with the case where the imaging result is acquired and the optical system separates and processes the two light beams having parallax.

  In addition, in the image pickup devices 11R and 11L, the entrance pupil may be set by the on-chip microlens 14 so that the direction of the incident angle at which the maximum sensitivity is obtained becomes the incident direction corresponding to the imaging result for the right eye and the left eye. Thus, for example, as in the case where the right-eye and left-eye pixels are provided in a group on one image sensor, it can be created without creating the on-chip microlens 14 exclusively. It can be created easily.

  Further, the resolution can be easily increased without downsizing and narrowing the pixels as compared with the case where the pixels for the right eye and the left eye are provided on one image sensor. Further, for example, it is possible to try to increase the apparent resolution by increasing the resolution of only one of the image sensors, and the resolution can be easily increased by this.

  As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to easily create an image related to stereoscopic vision and to easily increase the resolution.

  Furthermore, in the imaging apparatus 1, the setting of the entrance pupil by the on-chip microlens 14 is formed by biasing the on-chip microlens 14 in the horizontal direction with respect to the photosensor 12, In the imaging devices 11R and 11L, in a normal imaging device manufacturing process, a series of masks related to the creation of the on-chip microlens 14 can be created by shifting the position, thereby creating a simpler configuration. It has been made so that it can.

(3) Effects of the embodiment According to the above configuration, the incident light from the lens is separated into two light fluxes, and then captured by an imaging element having different directivity to obtain an image having parallax, thereby achieving stereoscopic viewing. Regarding such imaging, it can be easily created and the resolution can be easily increased.

  Further, at this time, the direction of the incident angle that is the maximum sensitivity is formed to be different, and the directivity of the image sensor is made different, so that it is possible to obtain an imaging result having a parallax suitably applied to stereoscopic viewing.

  In addition, by deviating the on-chip microlenses 14 in the horizontal direction and changing the direction of the incident angle at which the maximum sensitivity is obtained, this type of image pickup device and image pickup apparatus can be created more easily.

  As a result, regarding the imaging device, by setting the directivity to a characteristic that is biased from the characteristic oriented in the front direction of the imaging surface, it is possible to easily create an image related to stereoscopic vision and easily set the resolution. Can be increased

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an imaging unit applied to the imaging apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention in comparison with FIG. The imaging apparatus according to this embodiment is the same as the imaging apparatus 1 described above with reference to the first embodiment except that the imaging section 23 illustrated in FIG. 3 is applied instead of the imaging section 2 described above with reference to FIG. Composed.

  Here, in the imaging unit 23, the incident light from the lens 2 is separated into two light beams L11 and L12 having the same incident angle characteristics by the beam splitter 10, and the light beams L11 and L12 are respectively image sensors for the right eye and the left eye. Imaging signals SR and SL for right eye and left eye having parallax received by 24R and 24L are generated.

  In each of the image sensors 24R and 24L, each photosensor 13 is provided with an on-chip microlens 14 and a light-shielding portion 25 is provided on the surface of each on-chip microlens 14 in the same manner as a normal image sensor. The imaging elements 24R and 24L partially shield the incident light by the light shielding portion 25, and thus are formed so as to have different directivities as in the imaging elements 11R and 11L described above for the first embodiment. The light shielding portion 25 is formed, for example, by vapor deposition of a metal film, and further by partially attaching light shielding ink.

  According to this embodiment, even if the directivity is made different by partially blocking incident light by the light blocking portion provided on the on-chip microlens, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. .

  In the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment, images having parallax are obtained by the right-eye and left-eye imaging elements described above with reference to the first embodiment, and the right-eye and left-eye images are set by setting the surface shape of the on-chip microlens. The directivity of the left eye image sensor is made different.

  Even if the directivity is made different by setting the surface shape of the on-chip microlens as in this embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In the imaging apparatus according to this embodiment, in the configuration described above with respect to Embodiments 1 to 3, the right-eye and left-eye imaging elements are each provided with microactuators, and the right-eye and left-eye imaging elements are driven by driving the microactuators. Are respectively movable in the horizontal direction along the imaging surface.

  This imaging device is formed to move the microactuator in accordance with the distance to the subject in conjunction with, for example, an autofocus mechanism, thereby changing the magnitude of the parallax.

  In this embodiment, by providing an actuator that moves the image sensor in the direction along the imaging surface, it is possible to appropriately set the parallax related to stereoscopic viewing, and the stereoscopic image is much more realistic. It can be.

  In the above-described embodiments, the case where the directivity is biased for both the right-eye and left-eye image pickup devices has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when practically sufficient characteristics can be secured. The directivity may be biased with respect to only one of the right-eye image sensor and the left-eye image sensor.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the imaging result having parallax is acquired by the two imaging elements for the right eye and the left eye has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in two or more imaging elements. The present invention can be widely applied when acquiring an imaging result having parallax between imaging elements.

  In the above-described embodiments, the case where the imaging results having parallax are output simultaneously in parallel has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the output method to the display device, such as the case of time-division multiplexing output. In this case, various methods can be widely applied.

  In the above-described embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to an imaging apparatus for stereoscopic vision has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an image having parallax is compared by an image processing unit, and the distance is determined by parallax. The present invention can be widely applied to a distance measuring device for measuring.

  The present invention can be applied to imaging for stereoscopic viewing and distance measurement using parallax.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the imaging part applied to the imaging device which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an imaging apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the imaging part applied to the imaging device which concerns on Example 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Imaging device, 2 ... Lens, 3 ... Imaging part, 10 ... Beam splitter, 12 ... Semiconductor substrate, 13 ... Photo detector, 11R, 11L, 24R, 24L ... Imaging device, 14 ... ON Chip micro lens

Claims (11)

A splitting optical system that splits incident light from the lens into a plurality of light fluxes;
A plurality of image sensors each receiving the luminous flux and outputting an imaging result;
At least the first and second image sensors of the plurality of image sensors are
An imaging apparatus that is formed to have different directivities and outputs an imaging result having parallax. The first and second imaging elements are
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging apparatus is formed so that the direction of the incident angle with the maximum sensitivity with respect to the imaging surface is different, and the directivity is different. The first and second imaging elements are
Formed by arranging on-chip microlenses on the light receiving elements arranged in a matrix, respectively.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the on-chip microlens is formed to have different directivities by biasing an entrance pupil with respect to each light receiving element. The first and second imaging elements are
Formed by arranging on-chip microlenses on the light receiving elements arranged in a matrix, respectively.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the on-chip microlens is arranged so as to be biased with respect to each light receiving element, so that the directivity is different. The first and second imaging elements are
Formed by arranging on-chip microlenses on the light receiving elements arranged in a matrix, respectively.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the directivity is different by partially shielding incident light by a light shielding portion provided in the on-chip microlens. The first and second imaging elements are
Formed by arranging on-chip microlenses on the light receiving elements arranged in a matrix, respectively.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device is formed so as to have different directivities according to a setting of a surface shape of the on-chip microlens. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an actuator that moves the first and / or second imaging element in a direction along the imaging surface. An output unit that outputs the imaging results of the first and second imaging elements so that the imaging results of the first and second imaging elements can be displayed by a display device that displays a stereoscopic image by stereoscopic viewing; The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging apparatus is characterized. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image processing unit that measures a distance to a subject by comparing the imaging results of the first and second imaging elements. The first or second light beam is applied to an imaging device that divides incident light from a lens into at least first and second light beams and generates an imaging result having a parallax from the first and second light beams. An image sensor that receives light and outputs the imaging result,
An imaging device characterized in that directivity is set to a characteristic biased with respect to the front direction of the imaging surface. Formed by arranging on-chip microlenses on the light receiving elements arranged in a matrix, respectively.
The imaging device according to claim 10, wherein the directivity is set by biasing an entrance pupil by the on-chip microlens with respect to each light receiving device.

Images