Three-dimensional image capture device

摘要

A 3D image capture device includes: a light transmitting member 2 with polarizing areas and a non-polarizing area; a solid-state image sensor 1 for receiving the light transmitted through the member 2; an imaging section 3 for producing an image on the imaging area 1a of the sensor 1; and an image generating section. The member 2 has n polarizing areas P(1), P(2), . . . and P(n) (where n is an integer and n≧2), each of which transmits only a light ray polarized in a particular direction, and a non-polarizing area P(n+1) that transmits any light ray irrespective of its polarization direction. Those n polarizing areas have mutually different transmission axis directions. The sensor 1 includes a pixel array, divided into pixel blocks each consisting of (n+1) pixels, and a filter array including n polarization filters arranged so as to face n out of the (n+1) pixels and having different transmission axis directions. The image generating section generates images based on the light rays that have entered the n polarizing areas and the non-polarizing area using pixel signals supplied from those pixels.

主权项

1. A 3D image capture device comprising:
a light transmitting member with n polarizing areas where n is an integer that is equal to or greater than two, each of which transmits only a light ray that is polarized in a particular direction, and a non-polarizing area that transmits any light ray irrespective of its polarization direction, the n polarizing areas having mutually different transmission axis directions parallel to a polarization direction of the light that is transmitted through each respective polarizing area; a solid-state image sensor which is arranged to receive the light ray that has been transmitted through the light transmitting member and which includes a pixel array and a filter array, the pixel array being divided into a plurality of pixel blocks, each of which includes n+1 pixels, the filter array being divided into a plurality of filter blocks, each of which includes n polarization filters that are arranged so as to face n out of the n+1 pixels and that have mutually different transmission axis directions parallel to a polarization direction of the light that is transmitted through each respective polarization filter, each of the n polarization filters configured to make at least part of light rays that have been transmitted through the n polarizing areas and at least part of light rays that have been transmitted through the non-polarizing area incident on one of the n+1 pixels that faces the polarization filter at the same time; an imaging section for producing an image on the imaging area of the solid-state image sensor; and an image generating section configured to calculate n+1 images associated with the light rays that have entered the n polarizing areas and on the non-polarizing area using n+1 pixel signals supplied from the n+1 pixels.