US 11,956,411 B2
Image signal processor, image processing system and method of binning pixels in image sensor
Hee Kang, Hwaseong-si (KR); Young-Jun Song, Seoul (KR); Dong-Ki Min, Seoul (KR); Jong-Min You, Seongnam-si (KR); Jee-Hong Lee, Seoul (KR); Seok-Jae Kang, Seoul (KR); Taek-Sun Kim, Hwaseong-si (KR); and Joon-Hyuk Im, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed on Sep. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/954,471.
Application 17/954,471 is a continuation of application No. 15/984,692, filed on May 21, 2018, granted, now 11,463,677.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2017-0089143 (KR), filed on Jul. 13, 2017; and application No. 10-2017-0142870 (KR), filed on Oct. 30, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0019882 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 13/271 (2018.01); H04N 13/239 (2018.01); H04N 23/10 (2023.01); H04N 23/62 (2023.01); H04N 23/80 (2023.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01); H04N 25/778 (2023.01); H04N 13/00 (2018.01)
CPC H04N 13/271 (2018.05) [H04N 13/239 (2018.05); H04N 23/10 (2023.01); H04N 23/62 (2023.01); H04N 23/80 (2023.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01); H04N 25/778 (2023.01); H04N 2013/0081 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image sensor comprising:
a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels including at least a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element, a microlens on the first and second photoelectric conversion elements;
an analog-to-digital conversion circuit configured to generate a pattern image data by performing an analog-to-digital conversion on a first analog signal output from each of the pixels in response to a pattern image located at a first distance from the image sensor and configured to generate an image data by performing an analog-to-digital conversion on a second analog signal output from each of the pixels in response to an object; and
a disparity calculation unit configured to calculate a disparity of the pattern image data,
wherein the disparity represents a difference between first pixel values of a first pattern image data and second pixel values of a second pattern image data, the first pattern image data being associated with the first photoelectric conversion element of the pattern image data and the second pattern image data being associated with the second photoelectric conversion element of the pattern image data.