A system, comprising: an image sensor including: a first pixel including a first photoelectric conversion element of a first phase group and configured to have a first exposure and the second photoelectric conversion element of a second phase group and configured to have a second exposure; and a second pixel including a third photoelectric conversion element of the first phase group and configured to have the second exposure and a fourth photoelectric conversion element of the second phase group and configured to have the first exposure; and an image signal processor coupled to the image sensor and configured to: receive a first image from the image sensor; receive a second image from the image sensor; and configured to output an image based on at least one of the first image and the second image; wherein the first exposure is longer than the second exposure.

A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit, a charge accumulating portion accumulating signal charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit, a floating diffusion portion accumulating signal charges transferred from the charge accumulating portion, and a read-out unit transferring signal charges from the charge accumulating portion to the floating diffusion portion and output a signal corresponding to the signal charges, and a control unit controlling the read-out unit to start, after starting read-out of signals of one frame from the charge accumulating portions, an accumulation of signal charges for a next frame at the photoelectric conversion units simultaneously, and to start, before completing the read-out of the signal of the one frame, an accumulation of signal charges at the charge accumulating portion of a pixel among the plurality of pixels from which the signal of the one frame is already read out.

An auto exposure method for an image sensor includes (a) evaluating variance, for each of a plurality of histograms of the pixel values from a respective plurality of individual exposures of the image sensor at respective exposure 5 time settings, of contribution from individual bins of the histogram to total entropy of the histogram, to determine an optimal exposure time for the image sensor corresponding to a minimum value of the variance, and (b) outputting the optimal exposure time to the image sensor.

An imaging device includes a drive unit that drives pixels each including a photoelectric converter to output a first signal based on charge generated by the photoelectric converter in a first exposure period and a second signal based on charge generated by the photoelectric converter in a second exposure period shorter than the first exposure period, a detection unit that detects a change in a relative position between an object and the imaging device by using the first and second signals, and an image generation unit that generates an image by using the first and second signals. When selecting the first or second signal for each pixel, in accordance with a result of determination whether the first signal is saturated, the image generation unit decides whether or not to use a detection result from the detection unit as a criterion in selecting the first or second signal.

A photosensitive pixel with gain stage is disclosed. The photosensitive pixel with gain stage may receive an input light stimulus and output a corresponding output voltage in response to the input light stimulus. The output voltage may correspond linearly to the magnitude of the input light stimulus over a linear operating region and logarithmically to the magnitude of the input light stimulus over a logarithmic operating region. In this manner, the photosensitive pixel with gain stage may be both sensitive to input light stimuli over the linear operating region and may exhibit dynamic range enabling non-saturated response to input light stimuli over the logarithmic operating region.

An image sensor system with an image sensor that generates a first image and a second image. The first and second images are transmitted to a processor in a time overlapping manner. By way of example, the images may be transferred to the processor in an interleaving manner or provided on separate dedicated busses.

Read electrodes are provided to drain signal charge of pixels from photoelectric conversion units provided in the pixels separately to a vertical transfer unit. During a first exposure period during which an object is illuminated with infrared light, signal charge obtained from a first pixel, and signal charge obtained from a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel, are added together in the vertical transfer unit to produce first signal charge. During a second exposure period during which the object is not illuminated with infrared light, signal charge obtained from the first pixel, and signal charge obtained from the second pixel adjacent to the first pixel, are transferred without being added to the first signal charge in the vertical transfer unit, and are added together in another packet to produce second signal charge.

A substance detection device includes an illuminator that illuminates a monitoring range with light at a first wavelength and light at a second wavelength at different timings, an image capturer that obtains a first actual image by capturing an image of the monitoring range which is illuminated by the light at the first wavelength and obtains a second actual image by capturing an image of the monitoring range which is illuminated by the light at the second wavelength, and an image processor that acquires a difference in lightness of corresponding pixels between the first actual image and the second actual image that are obtained by the image capturer, compares the acquired difference in lightness of the corresponding pixels with a reference value, and detects a specific substance that is present in the monitoring range based on a result of the comparison.

A color filter array for an image sensing device is disclosed. The color filter array includes a plurality of pixels and a control unit. The plurality of pixels is utilized for generating a plurality of pixel data of an image. The control unit is utilized for controlling the plurality of pixels. In addition, each of the plurality of pixels is divided into a plurality of sub-pixels corresponding to the same color. When outputting the plurality of pixel data, each of the plurality of pixels accumulates pixel value of at least one of the plurality of sub-pixels in each of the plurality of pixels as the pixel data outputted by each of the plurality of pixels.

An image pickup apparatus having: an image sensor, having an image pickup plane, configured to photoelectrically convert a subject image formed on the image pickup plane to an image signal; a driving actuator configured to rotatably move the image sensor relative to a rotation axis passing through the image pickup plane; an angular velocity detection sensor configured to detect a rotational angular velocity of the image sensor about the rotation axis; a first shutter configured to control an exposure time of the image sensor; a second shutter configured to control the exposure time of the image sensor; and one or more processors configured to: control the driving actuator to reduce rotational shake around the rotation axis based on the rotational angular velocity; and select one of the first shutter and the second shutter to control the exposure time of the image sensor based on the rotational angular velocity.