A first flip-flop outputs a first output signal as a first switch signal that controls a first switch. A second flip-flop outputs a second output signal based on a clock signal and the first output signal. A first inverting circuit generates a first inverted signal obtained by inverting the first output signal. A second AND circuit outputs a signal that is an AND of the first inverted signal and the second output signal, as a second switch signal that controls a second switch.

A solid-state imaging device includes a light receiving section formed by such exposure as to stitch a plurality of patterns in a first direction on a semiconductor substrate. The light receiving section includes a plurality of pixels disposed in a two-dimensional array in the first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Electric charges are transferred in the second direction in each of pixel columns consisting of a plurality of pixels disposed in the second direction, among the plurality of pixels.

A camera includes: a ring-like body mount having an inside diameter smaller than about 48 millimeters; and a solid-state image pickup device arranged oppositely to the body mount, the solid-state image pickup device having a rectangle light receiving section with a diagonal line length of about 43 millimeters or more. An apparent shape of the solid-state image pickup device viewed from a front surface side of the body mount is a rectangle in which one or more corners are oblique.

An image sensor may include an array of image pixels arranged in rows and columns. Each group of adjacent pixel columns may be coupled to a respective arithmetic memory circuit via corresponding analog-to-digital converter circuitry. The arithmetic memory circuit may include at least first, second, third, and fourth arithmetic units coupled in a chain. In some arrangements, only a subset of columns in each group of adjacent pixel columns is actively coupled to the arithmetic memory circuit. In other arrangements, all of columns in each group of adjacent pixel columns are actively coupled to the arithmetic memory circuit. The columns may be directly coupled to different arithmetic units in the arithmetic memory circuit to implement weighted horizontal binning or to the same arithmetic unit in the arithmetic memory circuit to implement flat horizontal binning.

An image sensor may have a pixel array that includes an array of pixels arranged in rows and columns. Each pixel may include a number of adjacent sub-pixels covered by a single microlens. The adjacent sub-pixels of each pixel may include color filter elements of the same color. Image signals from the sub-pixels may be used to calculate phase information in each pixel in the array. This information may be used to generate a depth map of the entire captured image. The pixels may each be able to detect vertical, horizontal, or diagonal edges. Additionally, the image signals from each photodiode in a pixel may be binned or average to obtain image data for each pixel. The image sensor also may generate high-dynamic-range images using the pixel array.

A distance detection device generates a distance image indicating a distance to an object positioned within a distance range targeted for measurement using a TOF system. The distance detection device includes a light source that illuminates the object with light, a light sensor that generates a detection signal by receiving a reflection light which is the illumination light reflected from the object, a controller that controls an exposure timing of the light sensor with respect to an illumination timing of the light from the light source in each of measurement ranges of a plurality of measurement ranges obtained by dividing the distance range, and a processor. The processor generates distance information by calculating distances to objects within the measurement ranges based on the detection signal in each of the measurement ranges, and generates the distance image indicating the distance to the object within the distance range targeted for measurement using the generated plural distance information items.

An imaging device has a sensor chip and a signal processing chip. The sensor chip includes a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a 2-dimensional matrix and a data output terminal group made up of a plurality of data output terminals which output analog signals of pixels for each pixel column of the pixel array. The signal processing chip includes a data input terminal group electrically coupled to the data output terminal group, a plurality of A/D converters which convert analog signals of pixels received by the data input terminal group into digital signals for each pixel column of the pixel array, and a control unit which controls operation of the plurality of A/D converters.

A solid-state imaging device includes: a first lens layer; and a second lens layer, wherein the second lens layer is formed at least at a periphery of each first microlens formed based on the first lens layer, and the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the first microlenses is thinner than the second lens layer present at the periphery of the first microlens or no second lens layer is present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses.

The invention is directed to systems, methods and computer program products for capturing an image using an array camera. A method comprises determining an application associated with capturing an image using an array camera, wherein the array camera comprises a first sensor and at least one second sensor, wherein the first sensor comprises a red filter, a green filter, and a blue filter, and wherein each second sensor comprises a red filter, a green filter, or a blue filter; determining whether the application requires the image to have a first resolution equal to or greater than a predetermined resolution; determining whether the application requires depth information associated with the image; and in response to determining the application does not require the image to have the first resolution and does not require depth information, activating the first sensor, and capturing the image using the first sensor.

This imaging device is equipped with an interchangeable optical system, and includes: a sensor section that has a configuration allowing nondestructive reading of a signal from each pixel; a reading section that reads a signal from the sensor section in a nondestructive manner for each pixel; a signal storage section that is able to add up and store the signals for each pixel; and a correction control section that acquires shading characteristics and controls the reading section and the signal storage section. Each pixel has an organic layer that includes a photoelectric conversion layer. On the basis of the shading characteristics, the correction control section sets the number of operations of signal reading of peripheral pixels such that the number is greater than the number of operations of signal reading of central pixels, and generates image data from the signal of each pixel stored in the signal storage section.