Patent ID: 8553089

Claim:
An imaging device configured to switch to and from generation of a luminance signal based on a visible light pixel signal and generation of a luminance signal based on a near infrared light pixel signal depending on a result of comparison of signal levels of the visible light pixel signal and the near infrared light pixel signal, the imaging device comprising: a luminance signal generation unit, the luminance signal generation unit including: a first processing configuration for signal generation suitable for the generation of the luminance signal based on the visible light pixel signal obtained during daytime or in a first photographing environment substantially as bright as the daytime; and a second processing configuration for signal generation suitable for the generation of the luminance signal based on the near infrared light pixel signal obtained in a second photographing environment darker than the first photographing environment, wherein the luminance signal generation unit switches to and from the first processing configuration for signal generation and the second processing configuration for signal generation depending on the comparison result of the signal levels of the visible light pixel signal and the near infrared light pixel signal.