Patent ID: 9383199
Filing Date: 2016-07-05
CPC Classification: G01C

Claim Text:
1. An imaging apparatus, comprising: a lens optical system including a first area and a second area, the second area having an optical characteristic which provides a focusing characteristic different from the focusing characteristic by light rays which have passed the first area; an imaging element including a plurality of pixel groups, wherein each pixel group comprises: a first pixel and a second pixel on which light which has passed the lens optical system is incident and which includes a filter having a first spectral transmittance characteristic, a third pixel on which light which has passed the lens optical system is incident and which include a filter having a second spectral transmittance characteristic different from the first spectral transmittance characteristic, and a fourth pixel on which light which has passed the lens optical system is incident and which include a filter having a third spectral transmittance characteristic different from the first spectral transmittance characteristic and the second spectral transmittance characteristic, wherein pixels forming each of the plurality of pixel groups are neighboring pixels; and an optical array element located between the lens optical system and the imaging element, the optical array element causing the light which has passed the first area to be incident on the plurality of first pixels and causing the light which has passed the second area to be incident on the plurality of second pixels, the optical array element having a plurality of lenses, each of the plurality of lenses cover at least: (a) one of the plurality of first pixels, (b) one of the plurality of second pixels, (c) one of the plurality of third pixels, and d) one of the plurality of fourth pixels, wherein the optical array element causes the light which has passed one of the first area and the second area to be incident on the plurality of third pixels, and causes the light which has passed one of the first area and the second area to be incident on the plurality of fourth pixels; wherein the optical array element causes only the light which has passed one of the first area and the second area to be incident on the plurality of third pixels, and causes only the light which has passed one of the first area and the second area to be incident on the plurality of fourth pixels.