Patent ID: 7952623
Filing Date: 2011-05-31
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus, comprising: a solid state imaging device, including: wherein said plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are divided into low-sensitivity photodiodes and high-sensitivity photodiodes, the high-sensitivity photodiodes have positions considered as reference positions, the low-sensitivity photodiodes are disposed at positions shifted in a given direction from the reference positions in such a manner that each of the low-sensitivity photodiodes adjoins at least one of the high-sensitivity photodiodes, three kinds of spectral filters are respectively provided upwardly of light receiving surfaces of the low-sensitivity photodiodes, the three kinds of spectral filters respectively transmitting different color components and being provided in a proportion of 2:1:1, luminance filters are respectively provided upwardly of light receiving surfaces of the high-sensitivity photodiodes, the luminance filters each having a spectral characteristic correlated with luminance component of the light, and the low-sensitivity photodiodes have a same lattice-like arrangement pattern as the high-sensitivity photodiodes and wherein the low-sensitivity photodiodes have a detect sensitivity lower than that of the high-sensitivity photodiodes, wherein signals are read independently from each of the low-sensitivity photodiodes and the high-sensitivity photodiodes; a movable lens disposed in front of the solid state imaging device; and a focusing section that adjusts a focal position of the lens according to a signal from the solid state imaging device, wherein the focusing section, when it is driven by the solid state imaging device in order to adjust the focal position, reads a signal only from the respective high-sensitivity photodiodes disposed in the solid state imaging device.