An image sensing device is provided to comprise: a pixel array of pixels that are operable to sense light to produce pixel signals and are operable to operate in one of a plurality of modes in sensing of light, wherein a first pixel of the pixel array is controlled to operate in a mode selected from the plurality of modes and configured to output a pixel signal in response to light incident onto the first pixel; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the pixel array to receive the pixel signal from the first pixel and configured to set, based on the mode selected for the first pixel in generating the pixel signal, an input range indicating a voltage range of the pixel signal and perform an analog to digital conversion of the pixel signal generated by the first pixel to produce pixel data representing the pixel signal based on the input range of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a frame, a window member supported by the frame, a display outputting visual information to the window member, a first camera having first resolution, disposed in the frame and photographing the front of the frame, second cameras having second resolution different from the first resolution, disposed on both sides of the frame, respectively, and photographing the front of the frame, and a processor operatively coupled to the first camera and the second cameras. The processor may obtain front image information and movement information of a body of a user by operating the second cameras at a preconfigured frame rate, may identify recognition information including a location and size of an interested object indicated by the body based on the movement information, may identify a photographing area including the interested object based on the recognition information, may obtain interested image information.

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged along rows and columns; and a row driver which drives the plurality of pixels for each of the rows, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a plurality of sub-pixels, each of the plurality of sub-pixels includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements sharing a floating diffusion area with each other, and a micro lens disposed to overlap the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, a readout area is defined on the pixel array in accordance with a preset readout mode, and the row driver generates a drive signal for reading out signals provided from a photoelectric conversion element included in the readout area from among the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, and provides the drive signal to the pixel array.

An electronic device is provided and includes an image sensor including a first unit pixel including a first micro-lens and a plurality of first photodiodes facing each other with a first color filter interposed between the plurality of first photodiodes, and a second unit pixel including a second micro-lens and a plurality of second photodiodes facing each other with a second color filter interposed between the plurality of second photodiodes, a camera module including the image sensor, and a processor operatively connected with the image sensor. The first unit pixel includes a first photodiode, a second photodiode, a third photodiode, and a fourth photodiode, which are disposed in a square shape such that a horizontal number of photodiodes is identical to a vertical number of photodiodes. The second unit pixel includes a fifth photodiode, a sixth photodiode, a seventh photodiode, and an eighth photodiode, which are disposed in a square shape such that a horizontal number of photodiodes is identical to a vertical number of photodiodes. The image sensor identifies an operation setting and an external environmental condition of the camera module and, upon identifying that the operation setting is a preview mode and the external environmental condition is a high luminous environment, identifies a first area signal corresponding to a signal of the first photodiode and the second photodiode, which are concatenated with each other and included in the first unit pixel, and identifies a second area signal that corresponds to a signal of the fifth photodiode, included in the second unit pixel, corresponding to a location of the first photodiode and the sixth photodiode, included in the second unit pixel, corresponding to a location of the second photodiode, and forms first auto focus (AF) information based on the first area signal and the second area signal.

There is provided in one embodiment an apparatus having an image sensor array. In one embodiment, the image sensor array can include monochrome pixels and color sensitive pixels. The monochrome pixels can be pixels without wavelength selective color filter elements. The color sensitive pixels can include wavelength selective color filter elements.

The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that enable simultaneous acquisition of a signal for generating a high dynamic range image and a signal for detecting a phase difference.

The solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixel sets each including color filters of the same color, for a plurality of colors, each pixel set including a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes a plurality of photodiodes PD. The present technology can be applied, for example, to a solid-state imaging device that generates a high dynamic range image and detects a phase difference, and the like.

An image capturing element provided in an image capturing apparatus has an AD conversion circuit unit configured to perform AD conversion of a pixel signal by comparing the pixel signal, which is output from among a plurality of pixels, with a slope voltage for which the electric potential changes with time. A synchronous control unit selects a first mode or a second mode according to a drive mode related to the image capturing element. In the first mode, AD conversion of the pixel signal is performed by selecting one slope voltage from a plurality of slope voltages, then comparing the selected slope voltage with the pixel signal, and in a second mode, AD conversion of the pixel signal is performed by comparing a pre-determined slope voltage with the pixel signal.

An image capturing element provided in an image capturing apparatus has an AD conversion circuit unit configured to perform AD conversion of a pixel signal by comparing the pixel signal, which is output from among a plurality of pixels, with a slope voltage for which the electric potential changes with time. A synchronous control unit selects a first mode or a second mode according to a drive mode related to the image capturing element. In the first mode, AD conversion of the pixel signal is performed by selecting one slope voltage from a plurality of slope voltages, then comparing the selected slope voltage with the pixel signal, and in a second mode, AD conversion of the pixel signal is performed by comparing a pre-determined slope voltage with the pixel signal.

An imaging apparatus according to the present technology includes a mode control unit. The mode control unit shifts, when a motion is detected on a motion detection mode to detect the motion on the basis of image information, the mode to a feature detection mode to detect features on the basis of image information having a higher resolution than a resolution of the image information that is used for the motion detection, and shifts, when a specific feature is detected on the feature detection mode, the mode to an imaging mode to acquire image information having a higher resolution than the resolution of the image information that is used for the feature detection.

An imaging apparatus according to the present technology includes a mode control unit. The mode control unit shifts, when a motion is detected on a motion detection mode to detect the motion on the basis of image information, the mode to a feature detection mode to detect features on the basis of image information having a higher resolution than a resolution of the image information that is used for the motion detection, and shifts, when a specific feature is detected on the feature detection mode, the mode to an imaging mode to acquire image information having a higher resolution than the resolution of the image information that is used for the feature detection.