Patent ID: 7652713

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus, comprising: a plurality of pixels; and an output unit, wherein each pixel includes first and second photoelectric conversion portions arranged therein such that: an interval separates the first and second photoelectric conversion portions, the first photoelectric conversion portion has a first sensitivity distribution for carriers generated in a first region corresponding to the first photoelectric conversion portion and the interval, the first sensitivity distribution producing a first image component on an exit pupil of the image pickup apparatus, the second photoelectric conversion portion has a second sensitivity distribution for carriers generated in a second region corresponding to the second photoelectric conversion portion and the interval, the second sensitivity distribution producing a second image component on the exit pupil, each sensitivity distribution is a distribution of signal intensity as a function of distance, and the first and second sensitivity distributions partially overlap with each other, resulting in a partial overlap of the first and second image components with each other, and wherein the output unit receives a first electric signal and a second electric signal from each of the plurality of pixels and detects and outputs a phase difference between corresponding first and second electric signals from each of the plurality of pixels.