Disclosed is an image sensor including: a center pixel group including 2x2 pixels having different colors in a center area of a 6x6 unit pixel group; and first to fourth color pixel groups having the same color as one pixel of the center pixel group, disposed as units of 2x4 pixels or 4x2 pixels to have a shape surrounding the center pixel group, and having different colors.

An image sensor includes a pixel array that includes a first pixel group located in a first row and including a first select transistor and a first floating diffusion region, a second pixel group located in a second row and including a second select transistor and a second floating diffusion region, and a column line connected to both the first pixel group and the second pixel group. While charges generated by a photoelectric conversion element of the first pixel group are transferred to the first floating diffusion region, the first select transistor is turned off, the second select transistor is turned on, and a first voltage is applied to the column line through the second select transistor. A photoelectric conversion element of the second pixel group generates charges prior to the photoelectric conversion element of the first pixel group, so as to be transferred to the second floating diffusion region.

An image sensor includes unit pixels of a first pixel group sharing a first floating diffusion region and associated with a single color filter, and unit pixels of a second pixel group sharing a second floating diffusion region and associated with the single color filter. Control logic may generate an image by obtaining capacitance having a first value from the first floating diffusion region at a first time, and obtaining capacitance having a second value different from the first value from the second floating diffusion region at a second time following the first time. The first pixel group and the second pixel s group have different sensitivity levels.

A system for dark current compensation in SPAD imagery is configurable to capture an image frame with the SPAD array and generate a temporally filtered image by performing a temporal filtering operation using the image frame and at least one preceding image frame. The at least one preceding image frame is captured by the SPAD array at a timepoint that temporally precedes a timepoint associated with the image frame. The system is also configurable to obtain a dark current image frame. The dark current image frame includes data indicating one or more SPAD pixels of the plurality of SPAD pixels that detect an avalanche event without detecting a corresponding photon. The system is also configurable to generate a dark current compensated image by performing a subtraction operation on the temporally filtered image or the image frame based on the dark current image frame.

A system for dark current compensation in SPAD imagery is configurable to capture an image frame with the SPAD array and generate a temporally filtered image by performing a temporal filtering operation using the image frame and at least one preceding image frame. The at least one preceding image frame is captured by the SPAD array at a timepoint that temporally precedes a timepoint associated with the image frame. The system is also configurable to obtain a dark current image frame. The dark current image frame includes data indicating one or more SPAD pixels of the plurality of SPAD pixels that detect an avalanche event without detecting a corresponding photon. The system is also configurable to generate a dark current compensated image by performing a subtraction operation on the temporally filtered image or the image frame based on the dark current image frame.

Techniques are described for efficient high-resolution output of an image captured using a high-pixel-count image sensor based on pixel binning followed by luminance-guided umsampling. For example, an image sensor array is configured according to a red-green-blue-luminance (RGBL) CFA pattern, such that at least 50-percent of the imaging pixels of the array are luminance (L) pixels. Pixel binning is used during readout of the array to concurrently generate a downsampled RGB capture frame and a downsampled L capture frame. Following the readout, the L capture frame is upsampled (e.g., by upscaling and interpolation) to generate an L guide frame with 100-percent luminance density. An upsampled RGB frame can then be generated by interpolating the RGB capture frame based both on known neighboring RGB information (e.g., from the RGB capture frame and previously interpolated information), as adjusted based on local luminance information from the L guide frame.

Techniques are described for efficient high-resolution output of an image captured using a high-pixel-count image sensor based on pixel binning followed by luminance-guided umsampling. For example, an image sensor array is configured according to a red-green-blue-luminance (RGBL) CFA pattern, such that at least 50-percent of the imaging pixels of the array are luminance (L) pixels. Pixel binning is used during readout of the array to concurrently generate a downsampled RGB capture frame and a downsampled L capture frame. Following the readout, the L capture frame is upsampled (e.g., by upscaling and interpolation) to generate an L guide frame with 100-percent luminance density. An upsampled RGB frame can then be generated by interpolating the RGB capture frame based both on known neighboring RGB information (e.g., from the RGB capture frame and previously interpolated information), as adjusted based on local luminance information from the L guide frame.

Disclosed is an image sensor including first to fourth, fifth to eighth, ninth to 12.sup.th and 13.sup.th to 16.sup.th unit pixel circuits, a first readout line connected to the first and ninth unit pixel circuits, a second readout line connected to the fifth and 13.sup.th unit pixel circuits, a third readout line connected to the second and 10.sup.th unit pixel circuits, a fourth readout line connected to the sixth and 14.sup.th unit pixel circuits, a fifth readout line connected to the third and 11.sup.th unit pixel circuits, a sixth readout line connected to the seventh and 15.sup.th unit pixel circuits, a seventh readout line connected to the fourth and 12.sup.th unit pixel circuits, an eighth readout line connected to the eighth and 16.sup.th unit pixel circuits, first to fourth readout circuits, and a path selector connecting the unit pixel circuits to the readout circuits via the readout lines.

Disclosed is an image sensor including first to fourth, fifth to eighth, ninth to 12.sup.th and 13.sup.th to 16.sup.th unit pixel circuits, a first readout line connected to the first and ninth unit pixel circuits, a second readout line connected to the fifth and 13.sup.th unit pixel circuits, a third readout line connected to the second and 10.sup.th unit pixel circuits, a fourth readout line connected to the sixth and 14.sup.th unit pixel circuits, a fifth readout line connected to the third and 11.sup.th unit pixel circuits, a sixth readout line connected to the seventh and 15.sup.th unit pixel circuits, a seventh readout line connected to the fourth and 12.sup.th unit pixel circuits, an eighth readout line connected to the eighth and 16.sup.th unit pixel circuits, first to fourth readout circuits, and a path selector connecting the unit pixel circuits to the readout circuits via the readout lines.

Color filters are used for color images obtained using imaging devices such as conventional image sensors. Imaging elements with color filters are sold, and an appropriate combination of the imaging element and a lens or the like is incorporated in an electronic device. Only providing a color filter to overlap a light-receiving region of an image sensor reduces the amount of light reaching the light-receiving region. An imaging system of the present invention includes a solid-state imaging element without a color filter, a storage device, and a learning device. Since the color filter is not included, colorization is performed on obtained monochrome image data (analog data), and coloring is performed using an AI system.