Focus detection device and image capturing apparatus provided with the same

1. A focus detection device including a focus-detection optical system having optical axes that are separate from an optical axis of an imaging optical system, the device comprising:

a plurality of pairs of line sensors including a first pair of line sensors and a second pair of line sensors, each line sensor having multiple pixels, wherein the first pair of line sensors and the second pair of line sensors are arranged in parallel, and wherein the first pair of line sensors and the second pair of line sensors corresponds to a same focus detection area; and

a detection unit that detects the distance of a subject on which focus detection is to be carried out based on a phase difference between the signals of the subject images obtained by the photoelectric conversion performed by the first pair of line sensors and the second pair of line sensors,

wherein:

the first pair of line sensors and the second pair of line sensors are adjacently arranged in the direction orthogonal to the alignment direction of the multiple pixels so that a field of view of each line sensor of the first pair of line sensors includes the center of the field of view of the imaging optical system and that a field of view of each line sensor of the second pair of line sensors does not include the center of the field of view of the imaging optical system,

the first pair of line sensors are arranged at the top of the plurality pairs of line sensors in the direction orthogonal to the alignment direction of the multiple pixels, and

wherein the first pair of line sensors and the second pair of line sensors are arranged so that, regardless of change of focus length occurring within the imaging optical system, a field of view of each line sensor of the first pair of line sensors includes the center of the field of view of the imaging optical system and a field of view of each line sensor of the second pair of line sensors does not include the center of the field of view of the imaging optical system.

2. The focus detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pairs of line sensors comprises one or more pair of line sensors other than the first and second pairs of line sensors, each of which is arranged in a similar manner as the second pair of line sensors,

wherein line sensors arranged to be adjacent to each other in the direction orthogonal to the alignment direction of the multiple pixels are also arranged so that when the number of line sensors that are at least partially within the upper half of the field of view of the imaging optical system is taken as M and the number of unit line sensors that are at least partially within the lower half of the field of view of the imaging optical system is taken as N, M−1 is less than or equal to N, and so that the center of the line sensor on the lowermost line in the line sensors that are at least partially within the upper half of the field of view of the imaging optical system corresponds to the center of the field of view of the imaging optical system at the predetermined subject distance.

3. The focus detection device according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the case where a difference between subject distances, obtained from phase differences of the signals of the subject images obtained through the photoelectric conversion performed by one of the first and second pair of line sensors, is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the detection unit takes, as a detection result, a subject distance obtained from the phase difference between the signals of the subject images obtained through the photoelectric conversion performed by the first pair of line sensors.

4. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

the imaging optical system;

the focus detection device according to claim 1 ; and

a driving unit that drives a focus lens included in the imaging optical system based on a detection result obtained by the detection unit.

5. The focus detection device according to claim 1 , wherein:

each of the line sensors has multiple pixels;

one of line sensors in the first pair of line sensors and one of line sensors in the second pair of line sensors are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other in the direction orthogonal to the alignment direction of the multiple pixels; and

the other of line sensors in the first pair of line sensors and the other of line sensors in the second pair of line sensors are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other in the direction orthogonal to the alignment direction of the multiple pixels.

6. The focus detection device according to claim 1 , each of line sensors arranged to be adjacent to each other in the direction orthogonal to the alignment direction of the multiple pixels, are further arranged so that the positions of the pixels between the adjacent line sensors are shifted relative to each other.