Color imaging device

Claim 2

A charge-coupled imager comprising: (A) a two-dimensional image sensing array having a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, said sensing array generating electrical charges; (B) anti-blooming portions having therebetween three of said columns of said sensing array, each of said anti-blooming portions having a predetermined width; wherein the width of one second column at the center of said three columns between two adjacent anti-blooming portions is greater than those of the other, first and third columns; a first barrier disposed between said first column and said second column; and a second barrier disposed between said second column and said third column.

Claim 3

The imager according to claim 1, wherein the electrical potential of said second barrier is higher than that of said first barrier.

Claim 4

The imager according to claim 2, wherein each of said second barriers includes a channel stopper.

Claim 5

The imager according to claim 1 or 2 or 3, further comprising: a striped color filter having a plurality of first striped portions with first color, a plurality of second striped portions with second color, and a plurality of third striped portions with third color, each of said first striped portions being aligned with each of said first columns, each of said second striped portions being aligned with each of said second columns, and each of said third striped portions being aligned with each of said third columns.

Claim 6

The imager according to claim 4, wherein said first, second and third colors include red, blue and green, respectively.

Claim 7

The imager according to claim 4, wherein said first, second and third colors include red, blue plus green and green, respectively.

Claim 8

The imager according to claim 4, wherein the pitches between the neighboring columns are almost equal to each other.

Claim 9

The imager according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the pitches between the neighboring columns are almost equal to each other.

Claim 10

A charge-coupled imager comprising: (A) a two-dimensional image sensing array having a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, said sensing array generating electrical charges; (B) anti-blooming portions having therebetween three of said columns of said sensing array; (C) first barriers of a predetermined electrical potential and having therebetween three of said columns of said sensing array, said first barriers being disposed at positions different from those of said anti-blooming portions; and (D) second barriers of predetermined electrical potential and having therebetween three of said columns of said sensing array, said second barriers being disposed at positions different from those of said anti-blooming portions and said first barriers; wherein the electrical potential level of said second barriers is higher than that of said first barriers.

Claim 11

A charge-coupled imager comprising: (A) a two-dimensional image sensing array having a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, said sensing array generating electrical charges; (B) anti-blooming portions having therebetween three of said columns of said sensing array; (C) first barriers of a predetermined electrical potential and having therebetween three of said columns of said sensing array, said first barriers being disposed at positions different from those of said anti-blooming portions; and (D) second barriers of predetermined electrical potential and having therebetween three of said columns of said sensing array, said second barriers being disposed at positions different from those of said anti-blooming portions and said first barriers; wherein the electrical potential level of said second barriers is higher than that of said first barriers.

Claim 12

The imager according to claim 9, wherein said anti-blooming portions have a predetermined electrical potential, the level of which is almost equal to that of said first barriers.

Claim 13

The imager according to claim 10, wherein each of said second barriers includes a channel stopper.

Claim 14

The imager according to claim 9 or 10 or 11, further comprising: a striped color filter having a plurality of first striped portions with first color, a plurality of second striped portions with second color, and a plurality of third striped portions with third color, each of said first striped portions being aligned with each of first columns, each of said second striped portions being aligned with each of second columns, and each of said third striped portions being aligned with each of third columns; each of said first columns being positioned between one of said anti-blooming portions and one of said first barriers, each of said second columns being positioned between one of said first barriers and one of said second barriers, and each of said third columns being positioned between one of said second barriers and one of said anti-blooming portions.

Claim 15

The imager according to claim 12, wherein said first, second and third colors include red, blue and green, respectively.

Claim 16

The imager according to claim 12, wherein said first, second and third colors include red, blue plus green and green, respectively.

Claim 17

A color imager having a plurality of radiation sensitive portions separated from each other by insensitive portions, said sensitive portions including a plurality of first sensitive portions for generating first color information signals, a plurality of second sensitive portions for generating second color information signals, and a plurality of third sensitive portions for generating third color information signals; wherein each of the second sensitive portions is positioned between one of the first sensitive portions and one of the third sensitive portions, and the size of each of the second sensitive portions is larger than that of each of the first and third sensitive portions, and the size of each of the insensitive portions for separating the neighboring first and third sensitive portions from each other is larger than that of each of the remaining insensitive portions so that the pitch between neighboring sensitive portions is substantially constant.

Claim 18

A color imager having a plurality of radiation sensitive portions separated from each other by insensitive portions, said sensitive portions including a plurality of first sensitive portions for generating first color information signals, a plurality of second sensitive portions for generating second color information signals, and a plurality of third sensitive portions for generating third color information signals; wherein each of the second sensitive portions is positioned between one of the first sensitive portions and one of the third sensitive portions, and the size of each of the second sensitive portions is larger than that of each of the first and third sensitive portions, and the size of each of the insensitive portions for separating the neighboring first and third sensitive portions from each other is larger than that of each of the remaining insensitive portions so that the pitch between neighboring sensitive portions is substantially constant.

Claim 19

The imager according to claim 15, wherein said radiation sensitive portions are arranged in a two-dimensional array.

Claim 20

The imager according to claim 15, wherein said second color corresponds to a shorter wavelength region of the light.

Claim 21

The imager according to claim 17, wherein said second color includes blue.

Claim 22

The imager according to claim 17, wherein said second color includes cyan.

Claim 23

The imager according to claim 17, 18 or 19, wherein said first color includes red.

Claim 24

The imager according to claim 20, wherein said third color includes green.

Claim 25

The imager according to claim 21, wherein the size of each of the third sensitive portions is almost equal to that of each of the first sensitive portions.

Claim 26

The imager according to claim 17, 18 or 19, wherein said third color includes green.

Claim 27

The imager according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the size of each of the third sensitive portions is almost equal to that of each of the first sensitive portions.

Claim 28

A color image pick-up device comprising: (A) radiation sensing means having pluralities of first, second, and third sensing portions for generating electrical signals corresponding to a pattern of radiation, said sensing portions being separated from each other by separating portions; and (B) color filter means having pluralities of first, second and third filter portions, said first, second and third filter portions having different colors from each other, the first filter portions being arranged to correspond to said first sensing portions, the second filter portions being arranged to correspond to said second sensing portions, and the third filter portions being arranged to said third sensing portions; wherein each of the second sensing portions is positioned between one of the first sensing portions and one of the third sensing portions, and the size of each of the second sensing portions is larger than that of each of the first and the third sensing portions, and the size of each of the separating portions for separating the neighboring first and third sensing portions from each other is larger than that of each of the remaining separating portions so that the pitch between neighboring sensing portions is substantially constant.

Claim 29

A color image pick-up device comprising: (A) radiation sensing means having pluralities of first, second, and third sensing portions for generating electrical signals corresponding to a pattern of radiation, said sensing portions being separated from each other by separating portions; and (B) color filter means having pluralities of first, second and third filter portions, said first, second and third filter portions having different colors from each other, the first filter portions being arranged to correspond to said first sensing portions, the second filter portions being arranged to correspond to said second sensing portions, and the third filter portions being arranged to said third sensing portions; wherein each of the second sensing portions is positioned between one of the first sensing portions and one of the third sensing portions, and the size of each of the second sensing portions is larger than that of each of the first and the third sensing portions, and the size of each of the separating portions for separating the neighboring first and third sensing portions from each other is larger than that of each of the remaining separating portions so that the pitch between neighboring sensing portions is substantially constant.

Claim 30

The device according to claim 25, wherein the size of each of the first sensing portions is almost equal to the size of each of the third sensing portions.

Claim 31

The device according to claim 25 or 26, wherein said second filter portions have a color corresponding to a wavelength region of light of lower sensitivity of said radiation sensing means.

Claim 32

The device according to claim 27, wherein said second filter portions have a color of blue.

Claim 33

The device according to claim 27, wherein said second filter portions have a color of cyan.

Claim 34

The device according to claim 29, wherein said first filter portions have a color of red, and said third filter portions have a color of green.

Claim 35

The device according to claim 28, wherein said first filter portions have a color of red, and said third filter portions have a color of green.

Claim 36

The device according to claim 25 or 26, wherein said sensing portions are arranged in columns and rows to form a two-dimensional array, said first sensing portions being arranged in selected first columns, said second sensing portions being arranged in selected second columns, and said third sensing portions being arranged in selected third columns.

Claim 37

The device according to claim 32, wherein said filter means has a plurality of striped filter portions corresponding to said columns of said two-dimensional array of said sensing portions.

Claim 38

A charge-coupled imager comprising: (A) a two-dimensional image sensing array having a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, said sensing array generating electrical charges; (B) anti-blooming portions having therebetween three of said columns of said sensing array, each of said anti-blooming portions having a predetermined width; wherein the width of one second column at the center of said three columns between two adjacent anti-blooming portions is greater than those of the other, first and third columns; and (C) a striped color filter having a plurality of first striped portions with first color, a plurality of second striped portions with second color, and a plurality of third striped portions with third color, each of said first striped portions being aligned with a respective said first column, each of said second striped portions being aligned with a respective said second column, and each of said third striped portions being aligned with a respective said third column.

Claim 39

A charge-coupled imager comprising: (A) a two-dimensional image sensing array having a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, said sensing array generating electrical charges; (B) anti-blooming portions having therebetween three of said columns of said sensing array, each of said anti-blooming portions having a predetermined width; wherein the width of one second column at the center of said three columns between two adjacent anti-blooming portions is greater than those of the other, first and third columns; and (C) a striped color filter having a plurality of first striped portions with first color, a plurality of second striped portions with second color, and a plurality of third striped portions with third color, each of said first striped portions being aligned with a respective said first column, each of said second striped portions being aligned with a respective said second column, and each of said third striped portions being aligned with a respective said third column.

Claim 40

The imager according to claim 34, wherein said first, second and third colors include red, blue and green, respectively.

Claim 41

The imager according to claim 34, wherein said first, second and third colors include red, blue plus green, and green, respectively.