A method for processing image data having noise and information, including: acquiring input raw image data having pixels of an image sensor used to take the image data, processing the input data, and outputting processed image-output data. The step of acquiring input data includes acquiring an input-noise model from the input data, and the step of processing the input raw image data includes a preprocessing operation and determining an output-noise model adapted to reflect noise in the output data, and producing output raw-image data consistent with the output-noise model, and the step of outputting the processed image data includes storing and/or transmitting the output raw image data and the output-noise model, which together form the output data, in a manner linking the output raw image data to the output-noise model, thereby allowing processing of the output data, as input data, such that the processing is adapted for pipeline processing.

A transformer may transform image data from a first color pattern to a second color pattern. The transforming of image data may be applied to image data received from a memory storing an array of intensities corresponding to a first color pattern of a first color filter array (CFA) of an image sensor to a second color pattern. The second color pattern may be a color pattern of a size smaller that the first CFA. Remosaicing may be applied to the second color pattern to obtain image data organized in a Bayer color pattern. The transforming may be configured to operate on data from an image sensor to obtain different zoom levels not available without applying a digital zoom algorithm that involve upscaling, which reduces the image quality of the image data.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a driving unit and a plurality of pixels. The pixel includes a first photoelectric conversion unit, a second photoelectric conversion unit, a charge-voltage conversion unit, a first transfer transistor, a second transfer transistor, a reset transistor, a microlens configured to condense incident light to the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit, and an output unit. The driving unit performs a first operation including a first reset operation and a first readout operation, and a second operation including a second reset operation and a second readout operation.

An apparatus includes a sensor having an array of detectors. The sensor is configured to assign multiple detectors to a detector group corresponding to a block pixel. The sensor is also configured, for each frame of a set of frames, to apply a specified one of a set of mask patterns in order to select outputs of the detectors in the detector group and aggregate the selected outputs of the detectors in the detector group to determine pixel information for the block pixel. The apparatus also includes at least one processor configured to generate the frames using the pixel information for the block pixel, and upscale the portion of the at least one of the frames using the set of mask patterns to identify native pixels within the block pixel.

A system for providing high resolution image output for pilotage and two color operation for threat detection is disclosed. The system comprises a focal plane array comprising a plurality of pixels arranged into groups of equal numbers, wherein each pixel comprises at least two detectors for receiving electromagnetic energy and a readout integrated circuit.

A solid-state imaging device including a photoelectric conversion film provided over a plurality of pixels, a first electrode electrically coupled to the photoelectric conversion film and provided to each pixel, a second electrode opposed to the first electrode, the photoelectric conversion film being interposed between the second electrode and the first electrode, a first electric charge accumulation section, a reset transistor that is provided to each pixel, and an electric potential generator that applies, during a period in which the signal electric charges are accumulated in the first electric charge accumulation section, an electric potential VPD to the first electrode of each of at least one or more pixels, an electric potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode when the electric potential VPD is applied to the first electrode being smaller than an electric potential difference when a reset electric potential is applied to the first electrode.

A hand-held or otherwise portable or spatial or temporal performance-based image capture device includes one or more lenses, an aperture and a main sensor for capturing an original main image. A secondary sensor and optical system are for capturing a reference image that has temporal and spatial overlap with the original image. The device performs an image processing method including capturing the main image with the main sensor and the reference image with the secondary sensor, and utilizing information from the reference image to enhance the main image. The main and secondary sensors are contained together within a housing.

A solid state imaging device includes: a pixel array unit that has a plurality of pixels 2-dimensionally arranged in a matrix and a plurality of signal lines arranged along a column direction; A/D conversion units that are provided corresponding to the respective signal lines and convert an analog signal output from a pixel through the signal line into a digital signal; and a switching unit that switches or converts the analog signal output through each signal line into a digital signal using any of an A/D conversion unit provided corresponding to the signal line through which the analog signal is transmitted, and an A/D conversion unit provided corresponding to a signal line other than the signal line through which the analog signal is transmitted.

The present disclosure discloses an image sensor, an imaging device, a mobile terminal and an imaging method. The image sensor comprises a photosensitive pixel array and a filer arranged on the photosensitive pixel array. The filter comprises a filer unit array comprised a plurality of filter units, wherein each filter unit covers N photosensitive pixels, and some of the filter units comprise white filter areas. The white filter areas cover at least one of the N photosensitive pixels of the N photosensitive pixels, wherein a merged pixel is formed by the N photosensitive pixels covered by the same filter unit, wherein N is a positive integer.

A semiconductor device includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, each pixel including a first switch and a second switch, a scanning circuit, in a first mode, enabling a first signal to be output from the pixel by setting the first and second switches to “off” in a period before a first timing, enabling a second signal to be output from the pixel by setting only the first switch to “on” for a predetermined period from the first timing, and enabling a third signal to be output from the pixel by setting the first and second switches to “on” for a predetermined period from a second timing after the first timing, and a first AD (Analog/Digital) converter, in a second mode, capable of performing AD conversion by comparing the difference between the second signal and the first signal with a reference signal.