Solid state imaging apparatus

Claim 2

An imaging apparatus comprising: an taking lens; a selective optical low-pass filter for selectively removing a specific optical frequency component only from an incident light inputted through said taking lens; an infrared cut filter for removing an infrared component from an optical signal outputted from said selective optical low-pass filter; a color filter for passing a specific color light only of an optical signal outputted from said infrared cut filter; and a photo-electric converter for converting an optical signal outputted from said color filter into an electric signal.

Claim 3

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein as said selective optical low-pass filter, a phase filter is used.

Claim 4

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said color filter has a repetitive pixel arrangement of four-­line period such that a pixel arrangement of a first line has a N-pixel repetitive pattern, a pixel arrangement of a second line has a N-pixel repetitive pattern which is of the same as that of the first line, a pixel arrangement of a third line has a N-pixel repetitive pattern which is different from that of the first line, and a pixel arrangement of a fourth line has a N-pixel repetitive pattern which is of the same as that of the third line.

Claim 5

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each line of said color filter has a pixel arrangement of a repetitive pattern of four pixels comprising a pixel for outputting green signal, pixel for outputting red signal, another pixel for outputting green signal and pixel for outputting green signal and pixel for outputting blue signal.

Claim 6

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a L-­th line of said color filter has a pixel arrangement of a N-pixel repetitive pattern and a (L+1)-th line thereof has a pixel arrangement of a N-pixel repetitive pattern different from that of the L-th line.

Claim 7

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each line of said color filter has a pixel arrangement of a N-pixel repetitive pattern.

Claim 8

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said color filter has pixels for outputting green signal, pixels for outputting red signal and pixels for outputting blue signal arranged in an oblique lattice pattern with each other.

Claim 9

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selective optical low-pass filter comprises a phase filter having a shape expressed as a sum of a fundamental frequency component of sine wave and a higher harmonic component and an arrangement adapted to obtain a transfer characteristic of wide frequency band.

Claim 10

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selective optical low-pass filter comprises a phase filter having a shape expressed as a sum of a fundamental frequency component of sine wave and a higher harmonic component and an arrangement adapted to obtain a green signal of wide frequency band as well as to obtain red and blue signals each having a narrow frequency band.

Claim 11

An imaging apparatus comprising: a taking lens; an optical low-pass filter for removing unnecessary high frequency component from an incident light inputted through said taking lens; an infrared cut filter for removing an infrared component from an optical signal outputted from said optical low-pass filter; a selective optical low-pass filter for selectively low-pass filtering a specific optical frequency component only from an optical signal outputted from said infrared cut filter; a color filter for passing a specific color light only of an optical signal outputted from said selective optical low-pass filter; and a photo-electric converter for converting an optical signal outputted from said color filter into an electric signal.

Claim 12

An imaging apparatus comprising: a taking lens; an optical low-pass filter for removing unnecessary high frequency component from an incident light inputted through said taking lens; an infrared cut filter for removing an infrared component from an optical signal outputted from said optical low-pass filter; a selective optical low-pass filter for selectively low-pass filtering a specific optical frequency component only from an optical signal outputted from said infrared cut filter; a color filter for passing a specific color light only of an optical signal outputted from said selective optical low-pass filter; and a photo-electric converter for converting an optical signal outputted from said color filter into an electric signal.

Claim 13

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein as said selective optical low-pass filter, a phase filter is used.

Claim 14

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said color filter has a repetitive pixel arrangement of four-line period such that a pixel arrangement of a first line has a N-pixel repetitive pattern, a pixel arrangement of a second line has a N-pixel repetitive pattern which is of the same as that of the first line, a pixel arrangement of a third line has a N-pixel repetitive pattern which is different from that of the first line, and a pixel arrangement of a fourth line has a N-pixel repetitive pattern which is of the same as that of the third line.

Claim 15

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein each line of said color filter has a pixel arrangement of a repetitive pattern of four pixels comprising a pixel for outputting green signal, pixel for outputting red signal, another pixel for outputting green signal and pixel for outputting blue signal.

Claim 16

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein a L-th line of said color filter has a pixel arrangement of N-pixel repetitive pattern and a (L+1)-th line thereof has a pixel arrangement of a N-pixel repetitive pattern different from that of the L-th line.

Claim 17

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein each line of said color filter has a pixel arrangement of a N-pixel repetitive pattern.

Claim 18

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said color filter has pixels for outputting green signal, pixels for outputting red signal and pixels for outputting blue signal arranged in an oblique lattice pattern with each other.

Claim 19

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said selective optical low-pass filter comprises a phase filter having a shape expressed as a sum of a fundamental frequency component of sine wave and a higher harmonic component and an arrangement adapted to obtain a transfer characteristic of wide frequency band.

Claim 20

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said selective optical low-pass filter comprises a phase filter having a shape expressed as a sum of a fundamental frequency component of sine wave and a higher harmonic component and an arrangement adapted to obtain a green signal of wide frequency band as well as to obtain red and blue signals each having a narrow frequency band.

Claim 21

An imaging apparatus comprising: a taking lens; an optical low-pass filter for removing unnecessary high frequency component of a green signal from an incident light inputted from said taking lens; an infrared cut filter for removing an infrared component from an optical signal outputted from said optical low-pass filter; a selective optical low-pass filter for selectively low-pass filtering red and blue signal frequency components only from an optical signal outputted from said infrared cut filter; a primary color filter for passing primary colors of an optical signal outputted from said selective color low-pass filter; and a photo-electric converter for converting an optical signal outputted from said primary color filter into an electric signal.

Claim 22

An imaging apparatus comprising: a taking lens; an optical low-pass filter for removing unnecessary high frequency component of a green signal from an incident light inputted from said taking lens; an infrared cut filter for removing an infrared component from an optical signal outputted from said optical low-pass filter; a selective optical low-pass filter for selectively low-pass filtering red and blue signal frequency components only from an optical signal outputted from said infrared cut filter; a primary color filter for passing primary colors of an optical signal outputted from said selective color low-pass filter; and a photo-electric converter for converting an optical signal outputted from said primary color filter into an electric signal.

Claim 23

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein as said selective low-pass filter, a phase filter is used.

Claim 24

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said primary color filter has a repetitive pixel arrangement of four-line period such that a pixel arrangement of a first line has a N-pixel repetitive pattern, a pixel arrangement of a second line has a N-­pixel repetitive pattern which is of the same as that of the first line, a pixel arrangement of a third line has a N-pixel repetitive pattern which is different from that of the first line, and a pixel arrangement of a fourth line has a N-pixel repetitive pattern which is of the same as that of the third line.

Claim 25

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein each line of said primary color filter has a pixel arrangement of a repetitive pattern of four pixels comprising a pixel for outputting green signal, pixel for outputting red signal, another pixel for outputting green signal and pixel for outputting blue signal.

Claim 26

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein a L-th line of said primary color filter has a pixel arrangement of a N-pixel repetitive pattern and a (L+1)-­th line thereof has a N-pixel repetitive pattern different from that of the L-th line.

Claim 27

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein each line of said primary color filter has a N-pixel repetitive pattern.

Claim 28

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said primary color filter has pixels for outputting green signal and pixels for outputting red signal and pixels for outputting blue signal arranged in an oblique lattice pattern with each other.

Claim 29

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said selective optical low-pass filter comprises a phase filter having a shape expressed as a sum of a fundamental frequency component of sine wave and a higher harmonic component and an arrangement adapted to obtain a transfer characteristic of wide frequency band.

Claim 30

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said selective optical low-pass filter comprises a phase filter having a shape expressed as a sum of a fundamental frequency component of sine wave and a higher harmonic frequency and a arrangement adapted to obtain a green signal of wide frequency band as well as to obtain red and blue signals each having a narrow frequency band.

Claim 31

An imaging apparatus comprising: a first lens system; a selective optical low-pass filter for selectively low-pass filtering a specific optical component only of an incident light inputted from said first lens system; an iris means for controlling an optical signal outputted from said selective optical low-pass filter to a predetermined quantity of light; a second lens system for condensing an optical signal outputted from said iris means; an infrared cut filter for removing unnecessary infrared component from an optical signal outputted from said second lens system; a color filter for passing a specific color signal of an optical signal outputted from said infrared cut filter; and a photo-electric converter for converting an optical signal outputted from said color filter into an electric signal.

Claim 32

An imaging apparatus comprising: a first lens system; a selective optical low-pass filter for selectively low-pass filtering a specific optical component only of an incident light inputted from said first lens system; an iris means for controlling an optical signal outputted from said selective optical low-pass filter to a predetermined quantity of light; a second lens system for condensing an optical signal outputted from said iris means; an infrared cut filter for removing unnecessary infrared component from an optical signal outputted from said second lens system; a color filter for passing a specific color signal of an optical signal outputted from said infrared cut filter; and a photo-electric converter for converting an optical signal outputted from said color filter into an electric signal.

Claim 33

An imaging apparatus comprising: a first lens system; an iris means for controlling a quality of an incident light inputted from said first lens system to a predetermined value; a selective optical low-pass filter for selectively low-pass filtering a specific optical frequency component only of an optical signal outputted from said iris means; a second lens system for condensing an optical signal outputted from said selective optical low-pass filter; an infrared cut filter for removing unnecessary infrared component from an optical signal outputted from said second lens system; a color filter for passing a specific color signal of an optical signal outputted from said infrared cut filter; and a photo-electric converter for converting an optical signal outputted from said color filter into an electric signal.

Claim 34

An imaging apparatus comprising: a first lens system; an iris means for controlling a quality of an incident light inputted from said first lens system to a predetermined value; a selective optical low-pass filter for selectively low-pass filtering a specific optical frequency component only of an optical signal outputted from said iris means; a second lens system for condensing an optical signal outputted from said selective optical low-pass filter; an infrared cut filter for removing unnecessary infrared component from an optical signal outputted from said second lens system; a color filter for passing a specific color signal of an optical signal outputted from said infrared cut filter; and a photo-electric converter for converting an optical signal outputted from said color filter into an electric signal.

Claim 35

An imaging apparatus having such a structure that a first lens system, an iris means, a second lens system, a selective optical low-pass filter, an infrared cut filter, a color filter, and a photo-electric converter are respectively disposed on a same optical axis and an incident light inputted from said first lens system is controlled its quantity of light to a predetermined value through said iris means, passed through said second lens system, subjected to a low-pass filtering process selectively for a specific optical frequency component by said selective optical low-pass filter, then removed unnecessary infrared component therefrom by said infrared cut filter, and inputted through said color filter to said photo-electric converter thereby to be subjected to a photo-electric conversion.

Claim 36

An imaging apparatus having such a structure that a first lens system, an iris means, a second lens system, a selective optical low-pass filter, an infrared cut filter, a color filter, and a photo-electric converter are respectively disposed on a same optical axis and an incident light inputted from said first lens system is controlled its quantity of light to a predetermined value through said iris means, passed through said second lens system, subjected to a low-pass filtering process selectively for a specific optical frequency component by said selective optical low-pass filter, then removed unnecessary infrared component therefrom by said infrared cut filter, and inputted through said color filter to said photo-electric converter thereby to be subjected to a photo-electric conversion.

Claim 37

An imaging apparatus comprising: a taking lens; a selective optical low-pass filter for selectively low-pass filtering a specific optical frequency component of an incident light inputted from said taking lens; an infrared cut filter for removing an infrared component from an optical signal outputted from said selective optical low-pass filter; a color filter for passing a specific color signal of an optical signal outputted from said infrared cut filter; a photo-electric converter for converting an optical signal outputted from said color filter into an electric signal; a buffer means for delivering an electric signal outputting from said photo-electric converter into three paths; a first sample holder, second sample holder and third sample holder each for sample-holding a signal of each of the three paths; a first gain controller for controlling an output signal from said first sample holder to a predetermined gain; a first gamma correction means for gamma-correcting an output signal from said first gain controller; a second gain controller for controlling an output signal from said second sample holder to a predetermined gain; a second gamma correction means for gamma-­correcting an output signal from said second gain controller; a third gain controller for controlling an output signal from said third sample holder to a predetermined gain; a third gamma correction means for gamma-correcting an output signal from said third gain controller; a fourth low-pass filter of wide frequency band and a first low-pass filter of narrow frequency band each for passing an output signal from said first gamma correction means; a differential means for outputting a differential signal between an output signal from said fourth low-­pass filter and an output signal from said first low-­pass filter; a second low-pass filter of narrow frequency band for passing an output signal from said second gamma correction means; a third low-pass filter of narrow frequency band for passing an output signal from said third gamma correction means; a matrix circuit means for converting output signals from said first, second and third low-pass filters respectively into a luminance signal of narrow frequency band, a first color difference signal of narrow frequency band and a second color difference signal of narrow frequency band; a mixer for mixing an output signal from said differential means and said luminance signal of narrow frequency band to output as a luminance signal of wide frequency band to a first output terminal; a second output terminal for outputting said first color difference signal of narrow frequency band; and a third output terminal for outputting said second color difference signal of narrow frequency band.

Claim 38

An imaging apparatus comprising: a taking lens; a selective optical low-pass filter for selectively low-pass filtering a specific optical frequency component of an incident light inputted from said taking lens; an infrared cut filter for removing an infrared component from an optical signal outputted from said selective optical low-pass filter; a color filter for passing a specific color signal of an optical signal outputted from said infrared cut filter; a photo-electric converter for converting an optical signal outputted from said color filter into an electric signal; a buffer means for delivering an electric signal outputting from said photo-electric converter into three paths; a first sample holder, second sample holder and third sample holder each for sample-holding a signal of each of the three paths; a first gain controller for controlling an output signal from said first sample holder to a predetermined gain; a first gamma correction means for gamma-correcting an output signal from said first gain controller; a second gain controller for controlling an output signal from said second sample holder to a predetermined gain; a second gamma correction means for gamma-­correcting an output signal from said second gain controller; a third gain controller for controlling an output signal from said third sample holder to a predetermined gain; a third gamma correction means for gamma-correcting an output signal from said third gain controller; a fourth low-pass filter of wide frequency band and a first low-pass filter of narrow frequency band each for passing an output signal from said first gamma correction means; a differential means for outputting a differential signal between an output signal from said fourth low-­pass filter and an output signal from said first low-­pass filter; a second low-pass filter of narrow frequency band for passing an output signal from said second gamma correction means; a third low-pass filter of narrow frequency band for passing an output signal from said third gamma correction means; a matrix circuit means for converting output signals from said first, second and third low-pass filters respectively into a luminance signal of narrow frequency band, a first color difference signal of narrow frequency band and a second color difference signal of narrow frequency band; a mixer for mixing an output signal from said differential means and said luminance signal of narrow frequency band to output as a luminance signal of wide frequency band to a first output terminal; a second output terminal for outputting said first color difference signal of narrow frequency band; and a third output terminal for outputting said second color difference signal of narrow frequency band.

Claim 39

An imaging apparatus wherein by providing an optical waveguide between pixels of an imaging device for connection, a selective low-pass filtering process is carried out for color signals.

Claim 40

An imaging apparatus wherein by providing an optical waveguide between pixels of an imaging device for connection, a selective low-pass filtering process is carried out for color signals.

Claim 41

An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein a first member having a refractive index of N1 is disposed on and between the pixels for outputting color signals and a second member having a refractive index of N2 is disposed on said first member thereby to form an optical waveguide, thus being capable of arriving an incident light to each pixel at a pixel adjacent thereto as well.

Claim 42

An imaging apparatus wherein by giving an optical diffusion process function partially to the surface of an imaging device, a selective low-pass filtering process is carried out for color signals.

Claim 43

An imaging apparatus wherein by giving an optical diffusion process function partially to the surface of an imaging device, a selective low-pass filtering process is carried out for color signals.