Patent ID: 9288382
Filing Date: 2016-03-15
CPC Classification: H01L,H04N

Claim Text:
1. An imaging apparatus, comprising: an optical lens that optically forms an image of light from an object; a plurality of light receiving units two-dimensionally arranged on a substrate, and each configured to receive the light that has passed through the optical lens, convert the light into a photoelectric conversion signal, and read the photoelectric conversion signal in a non-destructive readout mode; a plurality of microlenses each placed (i) for every two or more adjacent light receiving units among the light receiving units and (ii) above the two or more adjacent light receiving units; a signal generating unit configured to read the photoelectric conversion signal from each of the light receiving units, and generate (i) a full-addition signal by adding all of the photoelectric conversion signals obtained in a predetermined frame by the two or more adjacent light receiving units corresponding to one of the microlenses, (ii) a partial addition signal by adding the photoelectric conversion signals obtained by at least one but not all of the two or more adjacent light receiving units, and (iii) non-addition independent signals that are the photoelectric conversion signals of one of the light receiving units; a phase difference detecting unit configured to detect a focal point from the partial addition signal and the non-addition independent signals, based on a phase difference between the two or more adjacent light receiving units; and a YC processing unit configured to generate a main image from the full-addition signal.