Image pickup apparatus
There is provided an image pickup apparatus which has a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions and a plurality of reflectors disposed so as to lie around the photoelectric conversion regions when viewed from the light incident direction, and which is constructed such that each reflector reflects at least one part of the light from one of the photoelectric conversion regions towards one of the other photoelectric conversion regions adjacent to the one photoelectric conversion region.
1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions;
a plurality of light entrance portions, having spaces therebetween, through which light is incident on the photoelectric conversion regions;
a plurality of reflectors; and
at least one light transmissive portion in one of the light entrance portions that allows a part of the light incident thereon to pass therethrough to one of the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions and reflects another part of the light to one of the plurality of reflectors, which reflects the light reflected at the at least one light transmissive portion to another one of the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions,
wherein, when viewed from a light incident direction, the plurality of reflectors are disposed in the spaces.
2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of said light transmissive portions,
wherein a light transmissive portion is provided in each said light entrance portion,
wherein each said light transmissive portion allows a part of the light incident thereon to pass therethrough and reflects another part of the light, and said reflectors reflect the light reflected at the light transmissive portion to other said light entrance portions.
3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a light-transmissive portion in one of the light entrance portions allows a part of the light, substantially in a first wavelength region, to pass therethrough and reflects another part of the light, in a second wavelength region, which is different from the first wavelength region, and another light-transmissive portion in another one of the other light entrance portions reflects the part of the light in the first wavelength region and allows the part of the light mainly in the second wavelength region to pass therethrough.
4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the reflectors is disposed in the space between the adjacent light entrance portions.
5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, when viewed from the light incident direction, the plurality of light entrance portions are adjacent to each other in slanted directions.
6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a microlens in each light entrance portion.
7. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein light is reflected at at least one of the reflectors at an angle of about 90 degrees.
8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of light entrance portions are arrayed in X and Y directions, and the plurality of reflectors comprise first reflectors and second reflectors and are configured such that the first and second reflectors are alternately disposed, and
wherein each first reflector reflects a part of the light incident on one of the light entrance portions toward one of the other light entrance portions in the X direction adjacent to the one light entrance portion, and each second reflector reflects a part of the light incident on the one light entrance portion towards the one of the other light entrance portions in the Y direction adjacent to the one light entrance portion.
9. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert an analog signal from the photoelectric conversion regions into digital signals; and
a digital signal processor configured to apply predetermined processing to the digital signals.