Imagers with depth sensing capabilities
An imager may include depth sensing pixels that provide an asymmetrical angular response to incident light. The depth sensing pixels may each include a substrate region formed from a photosensitive portion and a non-photosensitive portion. The depth sensing pixels may include mechanisms that prevent regions of the substrate from receiving incident light. Depth sensing pixel pairs may be formed from depth sensing pixels that have different asymmetrical angular responses. Each of the depth sensing pixel pairs may effectively divide the corresponding imaging lens into separate portions. Depth information for each depth sensing pixel pair may be determined based on the difference between output signals of the depth sensing pixels of that depth sensing pixel pair. The imager may be formed from various combinations of depth sensing pixel pairs and color sensing pixel pairs arranged in a Bayer pattern or other desired patterns.
1. An image sensor comprising:
a first pixel with a first photosensitive region that is at least partially covered by a first opaque layer; and
a second pixel with a second photosensitive region that is at least partially covered by a second opaque layer, wherein the first and second pixels have different and asymmetrical angular responses to incident light, wherein the first pixel comprises a first color filter operable to pass a set of wavelengths of the incident light, and wherein the second pixel comprises a second color filter operable to pass the set of wavelengths of the incident light.
2. The image sensor defined in claim 1 , wherein the first pixel is adjacent to the second pixel.
3. The image sensor defined in claim 1 , wherein the first opaque layer covers approximately half of the first photosensitive region.
4. The image sensor defined in claim 3 , wherein the second opaque layer covers approximately half of the second photosensitive region.
5. The image sensor defined in claim 4 , wherein the first opaque layer covers the left half of the first pixel.
6. The image sensor defined in claim 5 , wherein the second opaque layer covers the right half of the second pixel.
7. The image sensor defined in claim 6 , wherein the right half of the first pixel is adjacent to the left half of the second pixel.
8. The image sensor defined in claim 6 , wherein the left half of the first pixel is adjacent to the right half of the second pixel.
9. The image sensor defined in claim 1 , further comprising a third pixel that has a symmetrical angular response to incident light.
10. An image sensor comprising:
a first pixel, wherein the first pixel comprises a first photosensitive region and a first non-photosensitive region together having a first asymmetrical angular response to incident light, wherein the first non-photosensitive region comprises a first opaque layer formed above a first photosensitive element, wherein the first photosensitive region includes a first portion of the first photosensitive element, and wherein the first opaque layer is operable to prevent at least some of the incident light from reaching a second portion of the first photosensitive element; and
a second pixel, wherein the second pixel comprises a second photosensitive region and a second non-photosensitive region together having a second asymmetrical angular response to the incident light, wherein the second non-photosensitive region comprises a second opaque layer formed above a second photosensitive element, wherein the second photosensitive region includes a first portion of the second photosensitive element, and wherein the second opaque layer is operable to prevent at least some of the incident light from reaching a second portion of the second photosensitive element, wherein the first pixel comprises a first color filter operable to pass a set of wavelengths of the incident light and wherein the second pixel comprises a second color filter operable to pass the set of wavelengths of the incident light.