Patent EP0133835A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0133835A2
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EP
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CCD area image sensor and method for color imaging
Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corp
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Filing: 1984-08-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-08-08
Abstract
Abstract @ A solid state area image sensor for producing color video information comprises an array of like-shaped, color-responsive photoelements arranged in successive horizontal rows such that, except at the edges of the array, any one photoelement having one color response is surrounded by six adjacent photoelements all having color responses differing from the one surrounded photoelement, in an approximately hexagonal array. Color video information is produced in response to combined signals from three mutually adjacent photoelements by processing the photoelement output signals two rows at a time and producing color video information in response to signals from three mutually adjacent photoelements of three different color responses in adjacent rows. The three different color responses are white (w), yellow (Ye), and cyan (Cy), and luminance (L) and chrominance (RGB) information is produced in accordance with the equations: where L is luminance, R is red, G is green, B is blue and a is an adjustable quantity near unity.
Inventors
- 👤 Rudolph H. Dyck
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 02:40
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N25/00; H04N25/10; H04N25/11; H04N25/13; H04N25/135
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
57 words
An area image sensor characterized by: an array of like-shaped color responsive photoelements, arranged in horizontal or vertical rows such that except at the edges of said array, any one photoelement having one color response is surrounded by six mutually adjacent photoelements all having a color response differing from the color response of said any one photoelement.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
57 words
An area image sensor characterized by: an array of like-shaped color responsive photoelements, arranged in horizontal or vertical rows such that except at the edges of said array, any one photoelement having one color response is surrounded by six mutually adjacent photoelements all having a color response differing from the color response of said any one photoelement.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The area image sensor of Claim 1 further characterized by means for producing color video information in response to combined signals from a plurality of said photoelements.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The area image sensor of Claim 2 wherein said producing means is characterized by means for scanning the rows of photoelements two rows at a time, and means for producing said color video information in response to signals from three mutually adjacent photoelements
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The area image sensor of Claim 2 or 3 characterized in that said array of photoelements includes photoelements of three different color responses.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The area image sensor of Claim 4 characterized in that said three different color responses are white, yellow and cyan.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
The area image sensor of Claim 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said producing means is characterized by means for scanning the rows of photoelements two rows at a time, and means for producing said color video information in response to signals from three mutually adjacent photoelements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
The area image sensor of Claim 1-6 characterized in that the color responses of said three mutually adjacent photoelements are white (W), yellow (Ye), and cyan (Cy) and wherein luminance (L), red (R), green (G) and blue (B) video signals are calculated as follows: L = Cy + Ye + 0.66aW where a is adjustable and near unity;
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
The area imaging device of Claim 1-7, characterized by further comprising shift register means for storing signals generated by said photoelements and for supplying as output signals the stored photoelement signals for each of said plurality of rows.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The color imaging device of Claim 8 characterized by means for simultaneously processing said stored photoelement signals in two adjacent rows at a time.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The color imaging device of Claim 1-9 characterized in that the center of two of any three mutually adjacent photoelements are approximately equidistant from the third.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
The color imaging device of Claim 1-9 characterized in that each photoelement is rectangular in shape with the ratio of vertical height to the horizontal length being about 3:5, and wherein the centers of two of any three mutually adjacent photoelements are equidistant from the third.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
78 words
The color imaging device of Claim 1-9 characterized in that each photoelement is rectangular in shape with the ratio of vertical height to horizontal length being about 3:5, and wherein the centers of two of said any three mutually adjacent photoelements are equidistant from the third at an angle less than 90° to the horizontal and the distance between the centers of said two mutually adjacent photoelements is greater than the distance to the center of said third.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The color imaging device of Claim 1-13 characterized in that any three mutually adjacent photoelements in two adjacent rows of the photoelements are positioned to most nearly form an equilateral triangle between their centers as is possible given the shapes of the photoelements.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
186 words
A method for producing color video information from an array of color-response photoelements characterized by comprising the steps of: arranging said array of photoelements in horizontal or vertical rows such that the photoelements in alternative rows are displaced by a fraction of the dimension of a photoelement in the direction of said rows; generating luminance and chrominance information from a first set of three mutually adjacent color-responsive photoelements of different color response characteristics located in two successive rows with one of the three photoelements being in one of the two successive rows and the other two photoelements being in the other of the two successive rows; and generating luminance and chrominance information from a second set of three mutually adjacent color-responsive photoelements of different color response characteristics located in said two successive rows with two of the three photoelements being in seaid one of the two successive rows and the other one photoelement being in said other of the two successive rows, two of the three photoelements in the second set of photoelements being the same as two of the three photoelements in the first set.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
186 words
A method for producing color video information from an array of color-response photoelements characterized by comprising the steps of: arranging said array of photoelements in horizontal or vertical rows such that the photoelements in alternative rows are displaced by a fraction of the dimension of a photoelement in the direction of said rows; generating luminance and chrominance information from a first set of three mutually adjacent color-responsive photoelements of different color response characteristics located in two successive rows with one of the three photoelements being in one of the two successive rows and the other two photoelements being in the other of the two successive rows; and generating luminance and chrominance information from a second set of three mutually adjacent color-responsive photoelements of different color response characteristics located in said two successive rows with two of the three photoelements being in seaid one of the two successive rows and the other one photoelement being in said other of the two successive rows, two of the three photoelements in the second set of photoelements being the same as two of the three photoelements in the first set.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of Claim 14 characterized in that the three different color responses are white (W), yellow (Ye) and cyan (Cy) , and the luminance (L) and chrominance (RGB) information is produced according the following equations: where R is red, G is green, B is blue and a is adjustable quantity near unity.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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