US 12,265,157 B2
Imaging device
Yuki Minami, Osaka (JP); Takuya Asano, Hyogo (JP); Takamasa Ando, Osaka (JP); and Toshiya Fujii, Shiga (JP)
Assigned to MIRAXIA EDGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, Kyoto (JP)
Filed by Miraxia Edge Technology Corporation, Kyoto (JP)
Filed on Jun. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/344,692.
Application 17/344,692 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2019/043944, filed on Nov. 8, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-234498 (JP), filed on Dec. 14, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0302590 A1, Sep. 30, 2021
Int. Cl. G01S 17/894 (2020.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/4861 (2020.01); G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); G01S 7/497 (2006.01); H04N 23/72 (2023.01)
CPC G01S 17/894 (2020.01) [G01S 7/4816 (2013.01); G01S 7/4861 (2013.01); G01S 7/4865 (2013.01); G01S 7/497 (2013.01); H04N 23/72 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging device, comprising:
a light source that irradiates an object with light;
a solid-state image sensor that is exposed to reflection light from the object and accumulates the reflection light as a signal charge; and
a controller that controls irradiation by the light source and exposure of the solid-state image sensor, wherein
the solid-state image sensor includes:
a plurality of photoelectric converters that convert the reflection light from the object into signal charges, each of the signal charges being the signal charge; and
a plurality of charge accumulators that accumulate the signal charges, and
the imaging device:
performs, within one frame period, m types of exposure sequences for controlling the irradiation and the exposure, m being an integer greater than or equal to four;
assigns the plurality of charge accumulators exclusively to the m types of exposure sequences;
sets correspondence between a set of n photoelectric converters among the plurality of photoelectric converters and one charge accumulator among the plurality of charge accumulators in at least one type of exposure sequence among the m types of exposure sequences, n being an integer greater than or equal to three;
adds the signal charges obtained from the n photoelectric converters and accumulates the signal charges added into the one charge accumulator corresponding to the n photoelectric converters; and
changes a combination of the n photoelectric converters in every k types of exposure sequences among the m types of exposure sequences, k being an integer greater than or equal to one.