Patent ID: 9462254
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: H01L,H04N

Claim Text:
1. A light field image capture device comprising: an optical system; an image sensor that is arranged so as to receive an image that has been produced by the optical system; an image processor that generates image information including depth information based on a signal supplied from the image sensor; and a controller that controls the operation of the image sensor, wherein the image sensor includes: a photoelectric conversion layer including a plurality of photosensitive cells; a reflective layer that reflects light that has been transmitted through the photoelectric conversion layer; a micro lens layer that includes a plurality of micro lenses that are arranged between the photoelectric conversion layer and the reflective layer; and a transmitted light controlling layer that is arranged between the photoelectric conversion layer and the micro lens layer or between the micro lens layer and the reflective layer and that changes optical transmittance in accordance with an instruction given by the controller, wherein the micro lens layer is arranged so that light that has been transmitted through one of the photosensitive cells and then reflected from the reflective layer is incident on the same photosensitive cell again, wherein the controller controls the image sensor to perform a first image capturing session with the optical transmittance of the transmitted light controlling layer set to be a first value and a second image capturing session with the optical transmittance of the transmitted light controlling layer set to be a second value, which is different from the first value, wherein the optical transmittances of the micro lenses are constant in the first and second image capturing sessions, and wherein the image processor generates the image information including depth information by performing an arithmetic operation including calculating the difference between a first signal generated by the image sensor through the first image capturing session and a second signal generated by the image sensor through the second image capturing session.