Device for improving image resolution in camera system having lens that permits distortion and operation method thereof

1. An electronic device comprising:

an image sensor configured to generate pixel data based on light received through a lens that permits distortion where a captured image is compressed in a first direction; and

an image signal processor configured to perform re-mosaic processing on the generated pixel data for correcting distortion occurring in the first direction and to generate re-mosaiced pixel data,

wherein the image sensor includes a plurality of unit pixels, each unit pixel having a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in the first direction and a corresponding floating diffusion region shared only by said plurality of sub-pixels, respectively,

wherein the image signal processor performs binning on pixel values output from sub-pixels constituting each unit pixel in a second direction different from the first direction, and performs the re-mosaic processing on the binned pixel values.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor includes a pixel array comprising:

a first unit pixel including a first plurality of sub-pixels, a first color filter, and a first micro lens;

a second unit pixel including a second plurality of sub-pixels, a second color filter, and a second micro lens; and

a third unit pixel including a third plurality of sub-pixels, a third color filter, and a third micro lens.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the re-mosaic processing includes increasing a resolution of the pixel data in the first direction.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the image signal processor performs the re-mosaic processing based on at least a portion of pixel data having a same type from among the pixel data.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor includes a pixel array comprising:

a first unit pixel including a first plurality of sub-pixels sharing a first floating diffusion region and a first color filter;

a second unit pixel including a second plurality of sub-pixels sharing a second floating diffusion region and a second color filter; and

a third unit pixel including a third plurality of sub-pixels sharing a third floating diffusion region and a third color filter,

wherein each of the plurality of sub-pixels includes a micro lens.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the re-mosaic processing includes increasing a resolution of the pixel data in the first direction with regard to the pixel data.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the image signal processor performs the re-mosaic processing based on at least a portion of pixel data having a same type from among the pixel data.

8. The electronic device of claim 5 ,

wherein the image signal processor performs the binning as digital binning, and

wherein the re-mosaic processing includes increasing a resolution of the pixel data in the first direction.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the image signal processor performs the re-mosaic processing based on at least a portion of pixel data having a same type from among pixel data obtained as a result of the digital binning.

10. An electronic device comprising:

an image sensor configured to generate pixel data based on light received through a lens that permits distortion where a captured image is compressed in a first direction; and

an image signal processor configured to perform re-mosaic processing on the generated pixel data for correcting distortion occurring in the first direction and to generate re-mosaiced pixel data,

wherein the image sensor includes a plurality of unit pixels, each unit pixel having a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in the first direction and a corresponding floating diffusion region shared only by said plurality of sub-pixels, respectively,

wherein the image sensor includes a pixel array comprising:

a first unit pixel including a first plurality of sub-pixels sharing a first floating diffusion region and a first color filter;

a second unit pixel including a second plurality of sub-pixels sharing a second floating diffusion region and a second color filter; and

a third unit pixel including a third plurality of sub-pixels sharing a third floating diffusion region and a third color filter,

wherein the image signal processor performs binning pixel values output from sub-pixels constituting each unit pixel in a second direction different from the first direction, and performs the re-mosaic processing on the binned pixel values.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the re-mosaic processing includes increasing a resolution of the pixel data in the first direction.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the image signal processor performs the re-mosaic processing based on at least a portion of pixel data having a same type from among the pixel data.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 ,

wherein the image signal processor performs the binning as digital binning, and

wherein the re-mosaic processing includes increasing a resolution of the pixel data in the first direction.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the image signal processor performs the re-mosaic processing based on at least a portion of pixel data having the same type from among pixel data obtained as a result of the digital binning.

15. A method of processing signals output from an image sensor which includes a plurality of unit pixels, each unit pixel having a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in a first direction and a corresponding floating diffusion region shared only by said plurality of sub-pixels, respectively, the plurality of unit pixels including a first unit pixel including a first plurality of sub-pixels and a first color filter, a second unit pixel including a second plurality of sub-pixels and a second color filter, and a third unit pixel including a third plurality of sub-pixels and a third color filter, the method comprising:

obtaining pixel values from the plurality of sub-pixels, based on light received through a lens that permits distortion where a captured image is compressed in the first direction;

generating pixel data by performing correlated double sampling on the pixel values;

performing off-sensor binning on pixel values output from sub-pixels constituting each unit pixel in a second direction different from the first direction, and

generating re-mosaiced pixel data by performing re-mosaic processing on the binned pixel values for correcting distortion occurring in the first direction.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the generating of the re-mosaiced pixel data includes increasing a resolution of the pixel data in the first direction.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the generating of the re-mosaiced pixel data further includes performing the re-mosaic processing based on at least a portion of pixel data having a same type from among the pixel data.

18. The method of claim 15 ,

wherein the off-sensor binning is performed as digital binning before generating the re-mosaiced pixel data.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the generating of the re-mosaiced pixel data includes increasing a resolution of the pixel data in the first direction.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the generating of the re-mosaiced pixel data further includes performing the re-mosaic processing based on at least a portion of pixel data having a same type from among pixel data obtained as a result of the digital binning.

21. A digital camera comprising:

a lens that permits compression of incident light in a first direction;

an image sensor including a plurality of unit pixels configured to generate pixel data based on the incident light received through the lens, each unit pixel having a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in the first direction and a corresponding floating diffusion region shared only by said plurality of sub-pixels, respectively; and

an image signal processor configured to generate re-mosaiced pixel data by decompressing the generated pixel data in the first direction,

wherein the image signal processor re loans binning on pixel values cutout from sub-pixels constituting each unit pixel in a second direction different from the first direction, and performs the re-mosaic processing on the binned pixel values.

22. The digital camera of claim 21 , the image sensor comprising:

a first unit pixel including a first plurality of sub-pixels sharing a first floating diffusion region;

a second unit pixel including a second plurality of sub-pixels sharing a second floating diffusion region; and

a third unit pixel including a third plurality of sub-pixels sharing a third floating diffusion region,

wherein the image signal processor is configured to re-mosaic sub-pixels of the first, second and third pluralities to be adjacent to each other in only the first direction.