Imaging element and imaging device

Abstract

An image sensor includes: a plurality of light receiving units arranged along a first direction and along a second direction different from the first direction in a two-dimensional array; and a light receiving unit arranged at a central position among four light receiving units set next to each other along the first direction and the second direction among the plurality of light receiving units, which includes a light shielding member arranged over part thereof.

1 . An image sensor, comprising:
 a plurality of light receiving units arranged along a first direction and along a second direction different from the first direction in a two-dimensional array; and   a light receiving unit arranged at a central position among four light receiving units set next to each other along the first direction and the second direction among the plurality of light receiving units, which includes a light shielding member arranged over part thereof.   
     
     
         2 . An image sensor according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the light receiving unit having the light shielding member arranged over part thereof is a light receiving unit used for purposes of focus detection.   
     
     
         3 . An image sensor comprising:
 a pixel group including a plurality of pixels that receive light fluxes having passed through an image-capturing optical system, wherein:   the pixel group includes first pixels, second pixels and third pixels respectively assuming first spectral sensitivity, second spectral sensitivity and third spectral sensitivity different from one another;   a plurality of first pixel rows, each including a plurality of first pixels arranged one after another along a first direction, and a plurality of second pixel rows, each including a plurality of second pixels and a plurality of third pixels arranged at alternate positions along the first direction, are arranged at alternate positions along a second direction running perpendicular to the first direction;   the first pixel rows are offset relative to the second pixel rows along the first direction by an extent approximately equal to a half pitch;   a plurality of focus detection pixels assuming the first spectral sensitivity are arranged in place of at least some of the first pixels in at least some of the plurality of first pixel rows; and   the plurality of focus detection pixels receive a pair of light fluxes having passed through a pair of areas of a pupil of the image-capturing optical system and output a pair of image signals corresponding to a pair of images formed with the pair of light fluxes.   
     
     
         4 . An image sensor comprising:
 a pixel group including a plurality of pixels that receive light fluxes having passed through an image-capturing optical system, wherein:   the pixel group includes first pixels, second pixels and third pixels respectively assuming first spectral sensitivity, second spectral sensitivity and third spectral sensitivity different from one another;   a plurality of pixel row sets, each containing a first pixel row including a plurality of first pixels arranged one after another along a second direction, a second pixel row arranged immediately rightward relative to the first pixel row and including a plurality of second pixels arranged one after another along the second direction, a third pixel row arranged immediately rightward relative to the second pixel row and including a plurality of first pixels arranged one after another along the second direction and a fourth pixel row arranged immediately rightward relative to the third pixel row and including a plurality of third pixels arranged one after another along the second direction, are set one after another along a first direction running perpendicular to the second direction;   each pixel row among the first through fourth pixel rows is arranged with an offset relative to an adjacent pixel row by an extent equal to a half pitch along the second direction;   a plurality of focus detection pixels assuming the first spectral sensitivity are arranged in place of at least some of the first pixels in at least some of the plurality of first pixel rows and the plurality of third pixel rows; and   the plurality of focus detection pixels receive a pair of light fluxes having passed through a pair of areas of a pupil of the image-capturing optical system and output a pair of image signals corresponding to a pair of images formed with the pair of light fluxes.   
     
     
         5 . An image sensor according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first pixels each include a green color filter, the second pixels each include a blue color filter and the third pixels each include a red color filter.   
     
     
         6 . An image sensor according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the pixels each assume a polygonal shape, in a plan view, which includes four sides inclining by approximately 45° relative to the first direction.   
     
     
         7 . An image sensor according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the focus detection pixels are arranged in place of all the first pixels.   
     
     
         8 . An image-capturing device, comprising:
 an image sensor according to  claim 3 ;   an image generation unit that generates image signals based upon output signals provided from the image sensor; and   a focus detection unit that detects a focusing condition at the image-capturing optical system based upon output signals provided from the image sensor.   
     
     
         9 . An image-capturing device, comprising:
 an image sensor according to  claim 5 ;   an adding unit that adds together output signals from two first pixels arranged next to each other along the first direction, adds together output signals from two second pixels arranged next to each other along the second direction and adds together output signals from two third pixels arranged next to each other along the second direction so as to output Bayer array signals; and   an image generation unit that generates image signals corresponding to images formed with light fluxes having passed through the image-capturing optical system based upon the Bayer array signals output by the adding unit.   
     
     
         10 . An image-capturing device according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the focus detection pixels at the image sensor include a plurality of first focus detection pixels that receive one of the pair of light fluxes and a plurality of second focus detection pixels that receive the other of the pair of light fluxes, and the first focus detection pixels and the second focus detection pixels are arranged at alternate positions;   the adding unit outputs multiplication result signals each obtained by adding together output signals from a first focus detection pixel and a second focus detection pixel set next to each other along the first direction and multiplying a signal resulting from addition by a predetermined factor; and   the image generation unit generates the image signals based upon the Bayer array signals output from the adding unit and the multiplication result signals.