JPH05308467A - Color ccd image sensor unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the color CCD image sensor unit used for a video camera and an electronic still camera with high resolution in which number of picture elements is increased thrice in comparison with that of a conventional unit virtually. CONSTITUTION:The unit consists of a 3-color drum filter 14 to which each of filters R (red),G (green), B (blue) 13 rotating periodically synchronously with a frame frequency of a picture driven by a motor 12 are arranged at an equal interval, a sensor 16 such as a reflection photo sensor sensing a hole 15 of the 3-color drum filter 14, a CCD image sensor 11 and a support 17 supporting the sensor 16 before a light receiving section of the CCD image sensor 11, a means selecting each of the filters R, G, B 13 before the light receiving section of the CCD image sensor 11 periodically, and then number of light receiving elements of the CCD image sensor 11 is equal to number of picture elements, and then the color CCD image sensor unit having number of color picture elements thrice in comparison with that of a conventional unit is realized.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color CCD image sensor unit for virtually increasing the number of pixels of a CCD image sensor used in a video camera or an electronic still camera.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a video camera and an electronic still camera have been equipped with a digital camera (C) in order to add functions of an electronic zoom and an image blur prevention device.
The CD image sensor is required to have a large number of pixels.

A conventional CCD image sensor will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b).

As shown in FIG. 1, 1 is a CCD image sensor, and R (red) filters 2 and G are provided on the respective light receiving elements of the CCD image sensor.
Forming a (green) filter 3 and a B (blue) filter 4,
One color pixel was composed of three colors of R, G, and B.

[0005]

However, in the above conventional structure, the light receiving element 3 of the CCD image sensor is used.
Since one pixel is composed of one pixel, one third of the number of light receiving elements is the number of pixels. In this configuration, the only method for improving the resolution of an image is simply to increase the number of pixels. When the number of pixels is increased, mass production is difficult due to problems such as yield, which is very expensive.

In view of the above points, the present invention has an object to provide a high-resolution color CCD image sensor unit capable of virtually increasing the number of pixels of the CCD image sensor to three times the conventional number. ..

[0007]

In order to achieve this object, the color CCD image sensor unit of the present invention comprises means for periodically switching between R filter, G filter and B filter, and an image read by each filter.
A color CCD image sensor unit is composed of one CCD image sensor and a circuit for synthesizing the three R, G, and B images.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the number of light-receiving elements of the CCD image sensor becomes the number of pixels by the above-mentioned constitution, and the number of color pixels can be tripled as compared with the conventional one.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a CCD image sensor, which is provided in front of the light receiving portion with a R on a side surface which is periodically rotated by a motor 12 in synchronization with an image frame frequency.
A three-color drum filter 14 in which (red), G (green), and B (blue) filters 13 are arranged at equal intervals, and a sensor 16 such as a reflective photosensor that detects a hole 15 of the three-color drum filter 14. , A CCD image sensor 11, and a holding unit 17 for holding the sensor 16. Reference numeral 21 is a case of the image sensor unit.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the configuration of the present invention. To explain the configuration together with the operation, reference numeral 22 is a control circuit, and the rotation of the three-color drum filter 14 is detected by the sensor 16, and the result is fed back to the motor 12. at the same time,
The light receiving timing of the CCD image sensor 11 is controlled. 27 is a memory for storing R, G, B images.

Next, another embodiment of the CCD image sensor unit of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

According to the figure, 31 is a motor, and 33 is a three-color disc filter in which R, G, and B filters 32 rotated by this motor 31 are arranged at an equal angle with respect to the rotation axis of the motor 31. A CCD image sensor 34 is fixed by a holder 35 at a position parallel to the color disc filter 33 and facing one of the filters 32. 36 is an angle sensor for detecting the angle of the three-color disc filter 33, and 40 is a color switching shutter.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, the R filter and the G filter are periodically provided in front of the light receiving portion of the CCD image sensor.
By providing a means for switching the filter and the B filter, the number of light receiving elements of the CCD image sensor becomes the number of pixels, and the color CC has three times as many color pixels as the conventional color CC.
A D image sensor unit can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of a color CCD image sensor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention excluding a case.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the same side

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the same configuration.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the other embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a three-color disc filter, which is the main part of the same.

6A is a front view of a conventional color CCD image sensor, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of a main part of the color filter.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 CCD image sensor 12 motor 13 filter 14 3-color drum filter

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location H04N 9/04 Z 8943-5C

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A CCD image sensor, and means for periodically switching between an R filter, a G filter and a B filter provided in front of a light receiving portion of the CCD image sensor,
A color CCD image sensor unit composed of a memory that stores images from each filter. 2. As a means for switching the R, G, B filters, the R, G, B filters are arranged at equal intervals on the side surface of the rotating cup, and the CCD image sensor is arranged inside thereof. A color CCD image sensor unit. 3. As a means for switching the R, G, B filters, the R, G, B filters are arranged on the disc surface of the rotating disc at an equal angle with respect to the rotation axis, and are parallel to the disc. A color CCD image sensor unit, wherein a CCD image sensor is arranged at a position facing one of the filters.