When the amplification ratio is low and strong incident light causes a large charge, the signal retrieved from regions where the incident light is weak is also weak, but when the amplification ratio is high in regions where the incident light is weak, the signal retrieved from regions where the incident light is strong becomes saturated. Therefore, the dynamic range of the imaging unit is narrow. Provided is an imaging unit comprising an imaging section that includes a first group having one or more pixels and a second group having one or more pixels different from those of the first group; and a control section that, while a single charge accumulation is performed in the first group, causes pixel signals to be output by performing charge accumulation in the second group a number of times differing from a number of times charge accumulation is performed in the first group.

Multiple image data subframes corresponding to respective portions of an exposure interval are generated within a sensor device of an image system. Depending on whether the exposure interval exceeds one or more exposure time thresholds, data representative multiple image data subframes are output from the image sensor device in one of at least two formats, including a first format in which each of the subframes of image data is output in its entirety, and a second format in which a logical combination of at least two of the subframes of image data is output instead of the at least two of the subframes of image data such that the total volume of image data output from the image sensor device is reduced relative to the first format.

This disclosure is directed to an image sensor. The image sensor includes a two-dimensional pixel array divided into a plurality of blocks, each of the plurality of blocks comprising pixels arranged in at least two different rows and two different columns, and a shutter mechanism that exposes the plurality of blocks sequentially, with all pixels in each block being exposed synchronously.

An imaging device includes an imager to capture an image, a controller to control the imager to define a dynamic electronic fovea. The dynamic electronic fovea is defined by a subset of pixels of the imager. The subset of pixels for the fovea is driven differently from a remainder of pixels of the imager.

A device that is configured to perform image capturing using a sensor for setting an exposure condition on a region-by-region basis, the device includes an issuance unit configured to issue a plurality of shutter pulses each corresponding to a different time of a plurality of exposure times, a first generation unit configured to generate a mask signal for masking of the plurality of shutter pulses in accordance with an exposure time setting of each of regions, and a second generation unit configured to generate signals to be used for each of the regions, by masking the plurality of shutter pulses in accordance with the mask signal and combining the masked plurality of shutter pulses or the plurality of shutter pulses without being masked with a read pulse.

An imaging element includes a first semiconductor substrate having a pixel unit having disposed therein a plurality of pixels that each include a photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert light to an electric charge, and to output signals based on the electric charge converted by the photoelectric conversion unit and a second semiconductor substrate having an exposure processing unit configured to use the signals read from the pixels to calculate an accumulation time for accumulating the electric charge yielded by the conversion performed by the photoelectric conversion units.

An imaging element includes a first semiconductor substrate having a pixel unit having disposed therein a plurality of pixels that each include a photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert light to an electric charge, and to output signals based on the electric charge converted by the photoelectric conversion unit and a second semiconductor substrate having an exposure processing unit configured to use the signals read from the pixels to calculate an accumulation time for accumulating the electric charge yielded by the conversion performed by the photoelectric conversion units.

A pixel array uses two sets of pixels to provide accurate exposure control. One set of pixels provide continuous output signals for automatic light control (ALC) as the other set integrates and captures an image. ALC pixels allow monitoring of multiple pixels of an array to obtain sample data indicating the amount of light reaching the array, while allowing the other pixels to provide proper image data. A small percentage of the pixels in an array is replaced with ALC pixels and the array has two reset lines for each row; one line controls the reset for the image capture pixels while the other line controls the reset for the ALC pixels. In the columns, at least one extra control signal is used for the sampling of the reset level for the ALC pixels, which happens later than the sampling of the reset level for the image capture pixels.

An image processing apparatus comprises: an input unit that inputs an image signal from an image sensor, the image sensor being capable of carrying out first readout control, in which each line in a first region is read out at a first timing, and second readout control, in which each line in a second region is read out at a second timing different from the first timing; an acquisition unit that acquires a shake amount from a shake detection unit at the first timing and the second timing; and a correction unit that corrects distortion in the image signal caused by the shake amount. The correction unit changes a correction amount used in the correction on the basis of a difference between the first timing and the second timing.

An imaging element includes: an imaging unit in which a plurality of pixel groups including a plurality of pixels that output pixel signals according to incident light are formed, and on which incident light corresponding to mutually different pieces of image information is incident; a control unit that controls, for each of the pixel groups, a period of accumulating in the plurality of pixels included in the pixel group; and a readout unit that is provided to each of the pixel groups, and reads out the pixel signals from the plurality of pixels included in the pixel group.