An apparatus includes a plurality of pixels arranged in an array, a first group of pixels that are arranged in a first direction among the plurality of pixels, a first line to which the first group is connected, a second group of pixels that are arranged in the first direction among the plurality of pixels, and a second line to which the second group is connected. The first line is connected to a first source. The second line is connected to a second source. The apparatus further includes a control unit configured to: (1) perform control to increase a current flowing through the second source while performing control to decrease a current flowing through the first source, or (2) suppress a variation of total amount of flowing current by changing the current flowing through the second source in response to a change in the current flowing through the first source.

An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging unit that has a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels is arranged and that reads and outputs a pixel signal from the pixels included in the pixel region; a unit-of-readout controller that controls a unit of readout set as a part of the pixel region: a recognition unit that has learned training data for each of units of readout; a first output unit that outputs a recognition result of recognition performed by the recognition unit for each of the units of readout; a second output unit that outputs the pixel signal to a subsequent stage; and a trigger generator that generates a trigger signal for controlling a first timing at which the first output unit outputs the recognition result and a second timing at which the second output unit outputs the pixel signal.

An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging unit that has a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels is arranged and that reads and outputs a pixel signal from the pixels included in the pixel region; a unit-of-readout controller that controls a unit of readout set as a part of the pixel region: a recognition unit that has learned training data for each of units of readout; a first output unit that outputs a recognition result of recognition performed by the recognition unit for each of the units of readout; a second output unit that outputs the pixel signal to a subsequent stage; and a trigger generator that generates a trigger signal for controlling a first timing at which the first output unit outputs the recognition result and a second timing at which the second output unit outputs the pixel signal.

To provide an imaging device that allows miniaturization to be achieved in an in-plane direction without impairing operation performance. This imaging device includes a plurality of pixels each having a stacked structure of a photoelectric conversion unit formation region and an electric charge holding unit formation region. The photoelectric conversion unit formation region includes a photoelectric conversion unit and has a first planar shape in a plane extending in a first direction and a second direction. The photoelectric conversion unit is configured to generate electric charge through photoelectric conversion. The electric charge corresponds to an amount of received light. The first direction and the second direction are orthogonal to each other. The first planar shape has a first aspect ratio. The electric charge holding unit formation region includes an electric charge holding unit and has a second planar shape in the plane. The electric charge holding unit is configured to hold the electric charge. The second planar shape has a second aspect ratio different from the first aspect ratio.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for a biometric authentication system. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, at one or more processing devices, data corresponding to a first set of pixels of an image sensor. The first set of pixels are exposed under illumination by a first source. Data corresponding to a second set of pixels of the image sensor is received, at the one or more processing devices. The second set of pixels are exposed under illumination by a second source that is spatially separated from the first source. A three-dimensional image is generated using the data corresponding to the first set of pixels as a first image of a pair of photometric stereo images, and the data corresponding to the second set of pixels as a second image of the pair of photometric stereo images.

Examples described may related to an imaging sensor used by a vehicle, including a light sensor. The light sensor comprises a plurality of cells aligned in a plurality of horizontal rows and a plurality of vertical columns. The apparatus further includes an optical system configured to provide the light sensor with a field of view of an external environment of the apparatus. Additionally, the system includes a processing unit configured to: divide the plurality of horizontal rows of the light sensor into one or more enabled rows and one or more disabled rows; obtain image data from the light sensor by sampling one or more cells in the one or more enabled rows; and store the received image data in a memory.

An image capturing method, a camera assembly, and a mobile terminal are provided. An image sensor includes a two-dimensional (2D) pixel array. The 2D pixel array includes multiple panchromatic pixels and multiple color pixels. The 2D pixel array includes minimum repeating units. Each minimal repeating unit includes multiple sub-units. Each sub-unit includes multiple monochromatic pixels and multiple panchromatic pixels. The image capturing method includes the following. The 2D pixel array is exposed to obtain a panchromatic original image and a color original image. The color original image is processed to obtain a color intermediate image. The panchromatic original image is processed to obtain a panchromatic intermediate image. The color intermediate image and/or the panchromatic intermediate image are processed to obtain a target image.

Disclosed are a pixel unit, and an imaging method and apparatus thereof. The pixel comprises a first and a second pixel sub-portion each comprising one or more photodiodes; one or more transfer transistors each coupled to a floating diffusion, for transferring the charges generated by the one or more photodiodes in response to incident light during an exposure period and accumulated in the photodiode during said exposure period respectively to the floating diffusion; a reset transistor; and a source follower transistor coupled to the floating diffusion for amplifying and outputting the pixel signal of the floating diffusion. In some embodiments, the pixel further includes a capacitor and a gain control transistor.

The disclosed imaging device includes pixels each including a photoelectric convertor, a focus controller controlling a focal position of light, and a pixel controller controlling charge accumulation in the photoelectric convertors and readout of signals from the pixels. The pixels include a first pixel outputting signal corresponding to light in a first wavelength band and a second pixel outputting signal corresponding to light in a second wavelength band. The pixel controller executes, during one frame, a first period of accumulating charge in the photoelectric convertor of the first pixel in a state that the light in the first wavelength band is focused on, a second period of accumulating charge in the photoelectric convertor of the second pixel in a state that the light in the second wavelength band is focused on, and a third period of reading out signals corresponding to amount of charge generated in the photoelectric convertors.

The disclosed imaging device includes pixels each including a photoelectric convertor, a focus controller controlling a focal position of light, and a pixel controller controlling charge accumulation in the photoelectric convertors and readout of signals from the pixels. The pixels include a first pixel outputting signal corresponding to light in a first wavelength band and a second pixel outputting signal corresponding to light in a second wavelength band. The pixel controller executes, during one frame, a first period of accumulating charge in the photoelectric convertor of the first pixel in a state that the light in the first wavelength band is focused on, a second period of accumulating charge in the photoelectric convertor of the second pixel in a state that the light in the second wavelength band is focused on, and a third period of reading out signals corresponding to amount of charge generated in the photoelectric convertors.