JP2016015695A5

JP2016015695A5 -

Info

Publication number: JP2016015695A5
Application number: JP2014138019A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 2014-07-03
Publication date: 2017-08-10
Anticipated expiration: 2034-07-03

Description

上記目的を達成するために、撮像素子と、該撮像素子から読み出された信号を処理して画像を生成する画像処理手段とを有する本発明の撮像装置は、前記撮像素子が、複数のマイクロレンズと、前記複数のマイクロレンズそれぞれに、少なくとも１つの光電変換部が対応するように構成された複数の光電変換部と、前記複数の光電変換部から撮像信号を読み出す読み出し手段と、読み出された撮像信号を保持するメモリとを有し、前記撮像素子は、前記読み出し手段が前記複数の光電変換部に蓄積された撮像信号を読み出して前記メモリに保持するまでの信号読み出し期間が異なる、少なくとも２つ以上の駆動方法により駆動され、前記画像処理手段は、前記読み出された撮像信号のノイズを低減するノイズ低減処理を行うノイズ低減手段を備え、該ノイズ低減手段は、前記読み出された撮像信号のうち、前記ノイズ低減処理を行う撮像信号を判定して前記ノイズ低減処理を行い、該判定を行う際に、前記信号読み出し期間の異なる２つ以上の駆動方法において該判定のレベルを調整する。 In order to achieve the above object, an imaging device of the present invention comprising an imaging device and an image processing means for generating an image by processing a signal read from the imaging device, wherein the imaging device includes a plurality of micro-devices. A lens, a plurality of photoelectric conversion units configured so that at least one photoelectric conversion unit corresponds to each of the plurality of microlenses, a reading unit that reads an imaging signal from the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, and a reading A memory for holding the captured image signal, and the image sensor has different signal readout periods from when the readout unit reads out the image signal accumulated in the plurality of photoelectric conversion units and holds the image signal in the memory. is driven by at least two or more driving method, the image processing means, the noise reduction means to perform noise reduction processing for reducing noise in the read out image signal For example, the noise reducing means, among the read out by an imaging signal, to determine the imaging signal for the noise reduction processing performs the noise reduction processing, when performing the determination, different the signal readout period The determination level is adjusted in two or more driving methods .

Claims

An image pickup apparatus having an image pickup element and image processing means for processing a signal read from the image pickup element to generate an image,
The image sensor is
A plurality of microlenses,
A plurality of photoelectric conversion units configured such that at least one photoelectric conversion unit corresponds to each of the plurality of microlenses;
A reading means for reading an imaging signal from the plurality of photoelectric conversion units;
A memory for holding the read imaging signal;
The imaging element is driven by at least two or more driving methods in which a signal readout period from when the readout unit reads out an imaging signal accumulated in the plurality of photoelectric conversion units and holds it in the memory is different,
Said image processing means comprises noise reduction means for performing noise reduction processing for reducing noise in the read out image signal, said noise reducing means, among the read out by the imaging signal, the noise reduction processing An imaging apparatus comprising: determining an imaging signal to be performed, performing the noise reduction processing, and adjusting the determination level in two or more driving methods having different signal readout periods when performing the determination .

The noise reduction means is more easily determined as an imaging signal for performing the noise reduction process when the signal readout period is the first period than when the signal readout period is the second period shorter than the first period. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a level of the determination is adjusted.

When photographing is performed under a predetermined condition, there is further provided a storage means for previously storing defect information including an address of a photoelectric conversion unit corresponding to an imaging signal in which a defect appears, a defect type, and a defect level. And
The noise reduction means includes a signal readout period under the predetermined condition and a signal readout period required for readout of the imaging signal for a type of defect whose level of the defect changes according to the signal readout period. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a level of the defect is adjusted in accordance with a ratio.

The noise reduction means obtains the sensitivity of the image pickup device, and when the sensitivity is the first sensitivity, the noise reduction processing is performed at a defect level lower than that of the second sensitivity lower than the first sensitivity. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging apparatus is determined to perform the operation.

Said noise reducing means performs the process of detecting and correcting defective pixels in accordance with the level of the imaging signal for each shooting, the threshold for detecting the defective pixel, the signal reading period of the third period 3. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device is lower than the case of the fourth period shorter than the third period .

Further comprising conversion means for analog-to-digital conversion of the signal held in the memory;
The readout means reads out a reset level signal from the image sensor prior to the imaging signal and holds the reset level signal in the memory. After the conversion of the reset level signal held by the conversion means is completed, the imaging 6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein reading of a signal is started.

The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the driving method includes a driving method in which the conversion unit converts the digital signal into a different number of bits, and the signal readout period becomes longer as the number of bits increases.

The readout means adds and reads out the imaging signals of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units by a predetermined number,
The said noise reduction means adjusts the level of the said determination, when the said addition number is the same and the length of the said signal read-out period differs, The said determination level is characterized by the above-mentioned. Imaging device.

The imaging device is configured such that a plurality of photoelectric conversion units correspond to at least some of the microlenses of the plurality of microlenses,
The driving method, the first driving method of adding and reading the imaging signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion units corresponding to each microlens, capable acquires the image signal of each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion unit A second driving method of reading,
8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal readout period according to the second driving method is longer than that of the first driving method.

The imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the readout unit performs readout by the first driving method and the second driving method in units of rows at a predetermined ratio in each frame.

A plurality of microlenses, a plurality of photoelectric conversion units configured so that at least one photoelectric conversion unit corresponds to each of the plurality of microlenses, and a reading unit that reads an imaging signal from the plurality of photoelectric conversion units; An image pickup apparatus control method comprising: an image pickup device having a memory that holds a read image pickup signal; and an image processing unit that processes the signal read from the image pickup device to generate an image.
The image sensor is driven by at least two or more driving methods in which a signal readout period from when the readout unit reads out an imaging signal accumulated in the plurality of photoelectric conversion units to hold in the memory is different, and the image processing means comprises noise reduction means for performing noise reduction processing for reducing noise in the read out image signal,
An acquisition step of said noise reducing means acquires by that signal readout period in the driving method used for reading the image signal,
Said noise reducing means, in two or more driving method having the different signal readout period, among the read out by the imaging signal, an adjustment step of adjusting the level for determining the imaging signal for the noise reduction processing,
And a determination step of determining an imaging signal for performing the noise reduction processing in accordance with the adjusted level.