This invention describes a technique to enhance pixel resolution of high-speed laser scanning imaging by the means of sub-pixel sampling, applicable to one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D) imaging.

A mechanism is described for facilitating sensors arrangement and shifting for multisensory super-resolution cameras in imaging environments, according to one embodiment. A method of embodiments, as described herein, includes arranging sensors of a camera such that pixel centers of pixels of an image are spread evenly across a pixel area having pixel planes corresponding to the sensors, where the image is captured by the camera. The method may further include re-arranging the sensors by dividing the sensors in pairs of sensors, where each pair of sensors corresponds to a pair of pixel planes, and shifting the sensors diagonally such that the corresponding pixel planes are adjusted accordingly for improving quality of the image.

The present disclosure relates to reducing the size of a solid-state imaging apparatus. The solid-state imaging apparatus is configured by laminating a first structure body, comprising a pixel array unit in which pixels for performing photoelectric conversion are two-dimensionally aligned, and a second structure body, comprising an output circuit unit for outputting a pixel signal. The output circuit unit, including a through via which penetrates a semiconductor substrate constituting a part of the second structure body, and a signal output external terminal connected to the outside of the apparatus are arranged under the first structure body, the output circuit unit is connected to the signal output external terminal via the through via, and the outermost surface of the apparatus is a resin layer formed on an upper layer of an on-chip lens of the pixel array unit.

An imaging system includes an imaging optical system, an imaging device, an actuator, and control circuitry. The actuator changes a relative position of a plurality of pixel cells and an image of a subject. The pixel cells include a photoelectric converter and a charge accumulation region. The control circuitry sets the relative position to a first position, and a first signal charge obtained at the photoelectric converter during a first exposure is accumulated in the charge accumulation region. The relative position is set to a second position different from the first position, and a second signal charge obtained at the photoelectric converter during a second exposure time that is different from the first exposure time is accumulated in the charge accumulation region in addition to the first signal charge.

An image capturing apparatus includes an image data acquirer configured to acquire pieces of image data at a plurality of relative movement positions to which an imaging surface of an imaging sensor is relatively moved with respect to an object light flux; an exposure changer configured to change an exposure when acquiring the pieces of image data at the plurality of relative movement positions; a dynamic range adjuster configured to adjust a dynamic range of the acquired pieces of image data; and an image data combiner configured to obtain composite image data of the pieces of image data, based on a positional shift amount between the pieces of image data and the dynamic range.

An image capturing device for forming a higher resolution image of an image target having a plurality of pixel areas respectively is disclosed. The image capturing device includes an image sensor having a plurality of sensing pixels corresponding to the plurality of pixel areas respectively; an in-plane motion motor coupled to the image sensor, and configured to cause the image sensor to take a plurality of raw images related to the image target one by one; and a controller configured to synthesize the plurality of raw images into the higher resolution image, wherein: the image sensor has a sensor surface; the in-plane motion motor incrementally moves a plurality of times the image sensor, each time with a distance equal to 1/N of a pixel pitch of one of the plurality of sensing pixels, along a first direction parallel to the sensor surface to respectively capture the plurality of raw images for forming the higher resolution image; and N is a positive integer being larger than 1.

To acquire a correction image by performing a sub-pixel shift process for shifting an image using a pixel interpolation filter by a pixel shift amount between pixels and a frequency correction process for correcting a frequency characteristic of the image after shifted.

An image sensor for acquiring an image of an object comprises: an array of photo-sensitive areas (112); and a mosaic filter (114) associated with the array dividing the array into sub-groups (118) of photo-sensitive areas (112) extending across at least two rows and two columns, wherein the mosaic filter (114) transmits unique light properties to the photo-sensitive areas (112) within the sub-group (118); wherein the mosaic filter (114) comprises a sequence of unique filter portions associated with a set of photo-sensitive areas (112) along a row, wherein the set extends through more than one sub-group (118); wherein sequences comprising the unique filter portions are associated with each row and wherein the sequences associated with adjacent rows comprise different orders of the unique filter portions, such that different light properties are transmitted to photo-sensitive areas (112) in the same column of adjacent rows.

The present disclosure relates to reducing the size of a solid-state imaging apparatus. The solid-state imaging apparatus is configured by laminating a first structure body, comprising a pixel array unit in which pixels for performing photoelectric conversion are two-dimensionally aligned, and a second structure body, comprising an output circuit unit for outputting a pixel signal. The output circuit unit, including a through via which penetrates a semiconductor substrate constituting a part of the second structure body, and a signal output external terminal connected to the outside of the apparatus are arranged under the first structure body, the output circuit unit is connected to the signal output external terminal via the through via, and the outermost surface of the apparatus is a resin layer formed on an upper layer of an on-chip lens of the pixel array unit.

An optical unit includes an optical module that includes a light emitting element array in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged, a lens array disposed facing the light emitting element array on an optical path of light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements, and a fixing part configured to fix the light emitting element array to the lens array. The optical unit also includes a member configured to have a larger coefficient of thermal expansion than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the light emitting element array and a fastening part configured to fasten the optical module on a surface of the member. The fastening part is configured to fasten the optical module so as to enable expanding and contracting in a plane parallel to the surface of the member.