An image sensor includes a pixel array, wherein the pixel array includes a first unit pixel including first sensing pixels adjacent along a column direction and second sensing pixels adjacent along the column direction, the first sensing pixels and the second sensing pixels being adjacent along a row direction, and a same color filter overlapping first and second sensing pixels. The first sensing pixels share a first floating diffusion node. The second sensing pixels share a second floating diffusion node.

An imaging device includes an imaging unit including a plurality of pixels, respectively including photoelectric converters and charge accumulation nodes that accumulate signal charge. The imaging unit outputs image data based on signals corresponding to the signal charge accumulated in the charge accumulators. The imaging device includes an image processing unit that processes the image data output by the imaging unit. The imaging unit sequentially outputs a plurality of pieces of image data in one frame period by performing readout nondestructively. The image processing unit generates difference image data by determining a difference between two pieces of image data, selects output image data from initial image data and the difference image data, and combines the output image data and normal readout image data included in the plurality of pieces of image data, to generate combination-result image data.

An imaging device includes an imaging unit including a plurality of pixels, respectively including photoelectric converters and charge accumulation nodes that accumulate signal charge. The imaging unit outputs image data based on signals corresponding to the signal charge accumulated in the charge accumulators. The imaging device includes an image processing unit that processes the image data output by the imaging unit. The imaging unit sequentially outputs a plurality of pieces of image data in one frame period by performing readout nondestructively. The image processing unit generates difference image data by determining a difference between two pieces of image data, selects output image data from initial image data and the difference image data, and combines the output image data and normal readout image data included in the plurality of pieces of image data, to generate combination-result image data.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a pixel, an A/D conversion portion and an output circuit. The pixel includes first and second photoelectric conversion portions and an accumulation portion configured to accumulate a signal charge in a location other than the photoelectric conversion portions. The A/D conversion portion is configured to perform A/D conversions on signals based on signal charges generated in the photoelectric conversions. The output circuit reads out first and second signals based on first and second signal charges accumulated in the first and second photoelectric conversion portions during an electric charge accumulation period and a third signal based on a third signal charge generated in the second photoelectric conversion portion and accumulated in the accumulation portion during the electric charge accumulation period. Conversion periods for analog-to-digital conversion to be performed on at least two of the first, second, or third signals have different lengths.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a pixel, an A/D conversion portion and an output circuit. The pixel includes first and second photoelectric conversion portions and an accumulation portion configured to accumulate a signal charge in a location other than the photoelectric conversion portions. The A/D conversion portion is configured to perform A/D conversions on signals based on signal charges generated in the photoelectric conversions. The output circuit reads out first and second signals based on first and second signal charges accumulated in the first and second photoelectric conversion portions during an electric charge accumulation period and a third signal based on a third signal charge generated in the second photoelectric conversion portion and accumulated in the accumulation portion during the electric charge accumulation period. Conversion periods for analog-to-digital conversion to be performed on at least two of the first, second, or third signals have different lengths.

A camera system is described, particularly for a vehicle, the camera system having at least: a camera which has an image sensor and a filter mask, and a control and evaluation device which receives image signals output by the image sensor, the image sensor having an array of sensor pixels outputting pixel signals, and the filter mask having an array of filters which are disposed in front of the sensor pixels and have different wavelength-selective transmission response, a portion of the filters being attenuation filters, and sensor pixels, in front of which in each case one of the attenuation filters is disposed, outputting attenuation pixel signals. The attenuation filters advantageously attenuate white light more strongly than the other filters of the filter mask; in particular, they are blue pixels.

Systems and methods for generating high dynamic images from interleaved Bayer array data with high spatial resolution and reduced sampling artifacts. Bayer array data are demosaiced into components of the YUV color space before deinterleaving. The Y component and the UV components can be derived from the Bayer array data through demosiac convolution processes. A respective convolution is performed between a convolution kernel and a set of adjacent pixels of the Bayer array that are in the same color channel. A convolution kernel is selected based the mosaic pattern of the Bayer array and the color channels of the set of adjacent pixels. The Y data and UV data are deinterleaved and interpolated into frames of short exposure and long exposures in the second color space. The short exposure and long exposure frames are then blended and converted back to a RGB frame representing a high dynamic range image.

An image sensor (IS) includes a plurality of pixel blocks (PB) to which colors different from each other are assigned. Each of the plurality of pixel blocks (PB) includes a plurality of pixels (PX). The plurality of pixels PX provided in at least one pixel block (PB) among the plurality of pixel blocks (PB) includes one or more anomalous pixels (UPX). The anomalous pixel (UPX) detects light of one or more colors assigned to the other one or more pixel blocks (PB).

A vertically stacked image sensor with HDR imaging functionality and a method of operating the same are disclosed. The image sensor comprises, a first substrate, a pixel array organized into a plurality of pixel subarrays, of which each pixel comprises a photoelectric element for integrating a photocharge during each one of a plurality of subframe exposures, a transfer gate and a buffered charge-voltage converter. A first charge accumulation element of the charge-voltage converter is operatively connectable to at least one second charge accumulation element through a gain switch. The image sensor comprises control circuitry configured to trigger a partial or a complete transfer of the and to time-interleave at least two rolling shutter control sequences. Separate readout blocks are provided on the second substrate for each pixel subarray, each comprising in a pipelined architecture an A/D conversion unit, a pixel memory logic and a pixel memory unit.

In a vehicle-mounted camera system, an appropriate white balance correction processing according to a situation is executed to a long exposure time image and a short exposure time image shot in variously changing illumination environments. A vehicle-mounted camera system includes a vehicle-mounted camera that performs relatively long exposure time shooting and short exposure time shooting, a signal processing device (signal processing device) that executes a white balance correction processing for each of a long exposure time image and a short exposure time image, composes these images after the white balance correction processing, and generates a high dynamic range image, and a system control part (processing switch device) that obtains an illumination environment in which the vehicle is placed, and switches the white balance correction processing for the long exposure time image and the white balance correction processing for the short exposure time image according to the illumination environment.