Imaging device including focusing pixels

摘要

An imaging device includes a solid-state imaging device including focus detecting pixels which are arranged together in a region in which imaging pixels are arranged in a form of a two-dimensional (2D) matrix, a separating unit configured to separate imaging signals and focus detection signals from pixel signals output from the solid-state imaging device, to output horizontal direction focus detection signals output from a horizontal direction focus detecting pixel set including two focus detecting signals in a row direction and vertical direction focus detection signals output from a vertical direction focus detecting pixel set including two focus detecting signals in a column direction, a horizontal direction focus detection processing unit configured to convert a format in which the horizontal direction focus detection signals are output to a predetermined format.

主权项

1. An imaging device comprising:
a solid-state imaging device including focus detecting pixels which are arranged together in a region in which imaging pixels are arranged in a form of a two-dimensional (2 D) matrix, and configured to output imaging signals according to subject light incident on the imaging pixels and focus detection signals according to a quantity of light incident on the focus detecting pixels as pixel signals; a separating unit configured to separate the imaging signals and the focus detection signals from the pixel signals output from the solid-state imaging device, to output the focus detection signals output from the focus detecting pixels included in a horizontal direction focus detecting pixel set in which two focus detecting pixels outputting the focus detection signals according to a quantity of light incident in different directions in a row direction in the region of the solid-state imaging device are arranged as a set as a horizontal direction focus detection signal, and to output the focus detection signals output from the focus detecting pixels included in a vertical direction focus detecting pixel set in which two focus detecting pixels outputting the focus detection signals according to a quantity of light incident in different directions in a column direction in the region of the solid-state imaging device are arranged as a set as a vertical direction focus detention signal; a horizontal direction focus detection processing circuit configured to convert a format in which the horizontal direction focus detection signals separated by the separating unit are output from a format in which the focus detection signals included in the horizontal direction focus detection signal are output from the solid-state imaging device into a predetermined format, and then to output the horizontal direction focus detention signals; a vertical direction focus detection processing circuit configured to convert a format in which the vertical direction focus detection signals separated by the separating unit are output from a format in which the focus detection signals included in the vertical direction focus detection signal are output from the solid-state imaging device into a predetermined format, and then to output the vertical direction focus detection signals; wherein the horizontal direction focus detection processing circuit and the vertical direction focus detection processing unit are configured to convert the format of the focus detection signals included in the horizontal direction focus detection signal separated by the separating unit and the format of the focus detection signals included in the vertical direction focus detection signal separated by the separating unit so that the horizontal direction focus detection signal and the vertical direction focus detection signal, which are converted into a format and output, have a predetermined same format; wherein the horizontal direction focus detection processing circuit includes a horizontal direction holding unit configured to hold the input horizontal direction focus detection signals by a predetermined number used in a focus detection process, the focus detection signals included in the horizontal direction focus detection signals input from the separating unit at different timings are held in the horizontal direction holding unit, and the focus detection signals held in the horizontal direction holding unit are sequentially output from a predetermined timing as the focus detection signals included in the horizontal direction focus detection signal which is converted in format and output wherein the horizontal direction holding unit configured to hold all the focus detection signals output from the focus detecting pixels of a row having the largest number of horizontal direction focus detecting pixel sets in the region of the solid-state imaging device; wherein the horizontal direction focus detection processing circuit includes a horizontal direction adding unit configured to add the focus detection signals output from the corresponding focus detecting pixels included in the horizontal direction focus detecting pixel sets arranged in different rows, the horizontal direction holding unit is configured to hold the focus detection signals added by the horizontal direction adding unit, the horizontal direction adding unit is configured to add the focus detection signals held in the horizontal direction holding unit to the focus detection signals output from the corresponding focus detecting pixels and input through the separating unit, and the horizontal direction holding unit is configured to sequentially output the held focus detection signals as the focus detection signals included in the horizontal direction focus detection signal which is converted into a format and output for each horizontal direction focus detecting pixel group after all the focus detection signals output from the corresponding focus detecting pixel included in a horizontal direction focus detecting pixel group including horizontal direction focus detecting pixel sets arranged in the row direction are added through the horizontal direction adding unit.