WO1999050682A2 - Infrared pixel sensor and infrared signal correction - Google Patents

Infrared pixel sensor and infrared signal correction Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1999050682A2
WO1999050682A2 PCT/US1999/005283 US9905283W WO9950682A2 WO 1999050682 A2 WO1999050682 A2 WO 1999050682A2 US 9905283 W US9905283 W US 9905283W WO 9950682 A2 WO9950682 A2 WO 9950682A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
pixel
infrared
filters
radiation
pixel sensor
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1999/005283
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO1999050682A3 (en
Inventor
Edward J. Bawolek
Jean-Charles Korta
Walter J. Mack
Original Assignee
Intel Corporation
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Intel Corporation filed Critical Intel Corporation
Priority to AU50785/99A priority Critical patent/AU5078599A/en
Publication of WO1999050682A2 publication Critical patent/WO1999050682A2/en
Publication of WO1999050682A3 publication Critical patent/WO1999050682A3/en

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N5/00—Details of television systems
    • H04N5/30—Transforming light or analogous information into electric information
    • H04N5/33—Transforming infrared radiation
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
    • G02B5/20—Filters
    • G02B5/201—Filters in the form of arrays
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
    • H04N23/10—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof for generating image signals from different wavelengths
    • H04N23/11—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof for generating image signals from different wavelengths for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
    • H04N25/10—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof for transforming different wavelengths into image signals
    • H04N25/11—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics
    • H04N25/13—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements
    • H04N25/131—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements including elements passing infrared wavelengths
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
    • H04N25/10—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof for transforming different wavelengths into image signals
    • H04N25/11—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics
    • H04N25/13—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements
    • H04N25/134—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements based on three different wavelength filter elements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01J—MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY
    • G01J3/00—Spectrometry; Spectrophotometry; Monochromators; Measuring colours
    • G01J3/46—Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters
    • G01J3/50—Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters using electric radiation detectors
    • G01J3/51—Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters using electric radiation detectors using colour filters
    • G01J3/513—Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters using electric radiation detectors using colour filters having fixed filter-detector pairs
    • G01J2003/516—Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters using electric radiation detectors using colour filters having fixed filter-detector pairs with several stacked filters or stacked filter-detector pairs

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to infrared pass filters and pixel sensors, and more particularly, to infrared pass filters and infrared signal correction in an image. Background
  • Imaging sensors or devices based on silicon technology typically require the use of an infrared blocking element somewhere in the optical chain.
  • the purpose of this element is to prevent infrared radiation (IR) or light (typically considered to be light with a wavelength longer than 780 nm) from entering the imaging array.
  • Silicon-based devices will typically be sensitive to light with wavelengths up to approximately 1200 nm. If the IR is permitted to enter the array, the device will respond to the IR, and generate an output image signal.
  • the purpose of an imaging system is to create a representation of the visible light present in a scene, the IR will introduce a false response and distort the image. In a monochrome (black and white) imaging system, the result can be an obviously distorted rendition. For example, foliage and human skin tones may appear unusually light.
  • a color imaging system the introduction of IR will distort the coloration and produce an image with incorrect and de-saturated color.
  • a common method for preventing these difficulties is to use ionically colored glass or a thin-film optical coating on glass to create an optical element which passes visible light (typically from 380 nm to 780 nm) and blocks the IR.
  • This element can be placed in front of the taking lens, located within the lens system, or it can be incorporated into the imager package.
  • the principle disadvantages to this approach are cost and added system complexity.
  • the cost of an ionically colored glass element can be approximately $1.50 to $2.00 in high volume.
  • Thin film coatings can be implemented at somewhat lower cost (approximately $0.50 to $1.00 in volume), but suffer from the additional disadvantage of exhibiting a spectral shift as a function of angle.
  • Both filter types add to the system complexity by introducing an extra piece-part which must be assembled into the imaging system.
  • Fig. 1 illustrates the transmittance characteristics for conventional red, green, and blue CFA filters.
  • Fig. 2 illustrates the transmittance characteristics of an IR pass filter comprising red and blue CFA filters.
  • Fig. 3 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a pixel circuit with red and blue CFA filters deposited over the pixel circuit.
  • Fig. 4 is a simplified, high-level circuit of a differencing circuit for correcting the IR signal in the image signal.
  • Figs. 5-7 illustrate tiling patterns for color sensor arrays.
  • Fig. 8 illustrates a tiling pattern for a monochrome sensor array.
  • the effect of IR upon an image signal is substantially reduced by electronically subtracting signals generated by IR pixel sensors from signals generated by pixel sensors responsive to both IR and visible light.
  • the IR pixel sensors are sensitive to the IR incident upon the array comprising the sensors, and provide the IR component of the image separately from the color channels (e.g., RGB).
  • the IR sensors can be created using the existing commercial Color Filter Array (CFA) materials, taking advantage of the fact that these materials are transparent to IR radiation.
  • CFA Color Filter Array
  • This composite filter element is thus an IR pass filter, because each of the component filters used to form the composite filter is substantially transparent to IR.
  • Fig. 1 shows the transmittance characteristics for conventional red, green, and blue CFA (pigmented acrylate) filters. Note that each filter is substantially transparent to IR. By overlaying red and blue CFA filters, the resulting transmittance of the composite IR pass filter is indicated in Fig. 2, which shows that the visible spectrum is substantially blocked.
  • CFA pigment acrylate
  • the IR pass filter is used to create an IR sensitive pixel, or IR pixel sensor, by depositing the constituent filters making up the IR pass filter over a pixel circuit. This deposition can be accomplished by photo-lithographic techniques well known to the semiconductor industry.
  • a pixel circuit is any circuit which absorbs radiation and provides a signal indicative of the absorbed radiation.
  • the pixel circuit may comprise a photo diode, where photons absorbed by the photo diode generate electron-hole pairs, along with additional circuits to provide an electrical signal, either a voltage or current signal, indicative of the number of photons absorbed by the photo diode.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates a simplified cross-sectional view of an IR pixel sensor 300, comprising pixel circuit 310 with red CFA 320 and blue CFA 330 deposited over pixel circuit 310. Photons in the visible region, incident upon the pixel circuit as pictorially indicated by direction 340, are substantially blocked or prevented from being absorbed by pixel circuit 310.
  • a preferred embodiment will use an imaging array with four types of pixel sensors: three color (e.g., RGB) types and one IR type, all fabricated with commercially available CFA materials. Such an embodiment would provide four channels, or four types of signals. One such embodiment is indicated in Table I, where the spectrum measured for each channel or pixel type is indicated.
  • Table I Spectrums for four output channels
  • the IR component of the image signal can be subtracted from the image to give IR corrected color outputs. This is indicated by a high-level circuit as shown in Fig. 4, where the IR signal on channel 4 is subtracted from each of the signals on channels 1 -3 by MUX 410 and differencing circuit 420. Clearly, MUX 410 is not needed if three differencing circuits are available to perform subtraction of the IR signal for each color channel.
  • a tiling pattern for a monochrome image is indicated in Fig. 8, where W denotes a pixel sensor sensitive to the entire visible spectrum.
  • Each pattern shown in Figs. 5-8 may be considered a unit cell. Unit cells are repeated in a regular fashion throughout an imaging array.
  • pixel sensors labeled R, G, and B indicate pixel sensors utilizing, respectively, red, green, and blue CFA filters.
  • pixel sensors labeled IR (R+B) are IR pixel sensors in which the composite IR pass filter comprises red and blue CFA filters.
  • the pixel sensors need not actually be in physical contact with each other.
  • the pixel circuits making up a pixel sensor will need to be electrically isolated from other pixel circuits. It is to be understood that a first pixel sensor is said to be contiguous to a second pixel sensor if and only if there are no intervening pixel sensors between the first and second pixels.
  • the upper left pixel sensor R is contiguous to the lower left pixel sensor G, the upper pixel sensor G, and the pixel sensor B, but it is not contiguous to the lower right pixel sensor G and the IR pixel sensor.
  • Two pixel sensors may be contiguous without actually physically touching each other. *
  • the IR component of an imaged scene may not be in sharp focus. This is actually an advantage to the embodiments disclosed here because it implies that it is not necessary to sample the IR component with high spatial frequency. This is reflected in the tiling patterns indicated by Figs. 7 and 8 for color and monochrome imagers, respectively.
  • An imaging array with IR pixel sensors may be used in a second mode as an IR imaging array, where only the signals from the IR pixel sensors are utilized to form an IR image.
  • imaging arrays made according to the embodiments disclosed here may be configured as dual mode imaging arrays, providing either an IR corrected visible image or an IR image.
  • Embodiments with other color systems may be realized, such as cyan, magenta and yellow (CMY) systems and magenta, white, and yellow (MWY) systems.
  • CMY magenta and yellow
  • MWY magenta, white, and yellow
  • CMY magenta and yellow
  • CMY magenta and yellow
  • MWY magenta, white, and yellow

Abstract

An infrared pixel sensor comprising a pixel and a composite infrared pass filter (item marked: IR (R+B)) comprising a plurality of filters, wherein each filter belonging to the plurality of filters is substantially transparent to infrared radiation and has a visible pass spectrum so that the composite infrared pass filter is substantially opaque to visible light. Signals from infrared pixel sensors are subtracted from color pixel sensors (items marked: R, G, B) to correct for infrared radiation in the image signal without the need for an infrared blocking filter.

Description

Infrared Pixel Sensor and Infrared Signal Correction Field of Invention
The present invention relates to infrared pass filters and pixel sensors, and more particularly, to infrared pass filters and infrared signal correction in an image. Background
Imaging sensors or devices based on silicon technology typically require the use of an infrared blocking element somewhere in the optical chain. The purpose of this element is to prevent infrared radiation (IR) or light (typically considered to be light with a wavelength longer than 780 nm) from entering the imaging array. Silicon-based devices will typically be sensitive to light with wavelengths up to approximately 1200 nm. If the IR is permitted to enter the array, the device will respond to the IR, and generate an output image signal. Since the purpose of an imaging system (in this context) is to create a representation of the visible light present in a scene, the IR will introduce a false response and distort the image. In a monochrome (black and white) imaging system, the result can be an obviously distorted rendition. For example, foliage and human skin tones may appear unusually light. In a color imaging system, the introduction of IR will distort the coloration and produce an image with incorrect and de-saturated color.
A common method for preventing these difficulties is to use ionically colored glass or a thin-film optical coating on glass to create an optical element which passes visible light (typically from 380 nm to 780 nm) and blocks the IR. This element can be placed in front of the taking lens, located within the lens system, or it can be incorporated into the imager package. The principle disadvantages to this approach are cost and added system complexity. The cost of an ionically colored glass element can be approximately $1.50 to $2.00 in high volume. Thin film coatings can be implemented at somewhat lower cost (approximately $0.50 to $1.00 in volume), but suffer from the additional disadvantage of exhibiting a spectral shift as a function of angle. Thus, in an imaging system they do not provide a uniform transmittance characteristic from the center of the image field to the edge. Both filter types add to the system complexity by introducing an extra piece-part which must be assembled into the imaging system.
It can therefore be desirable to provide for an imaging system without an IR blocking filter in which IR does not appreciably effect the resulting image signal.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 illustrates the transmittance characteristics for conventional red, green, and blue CFA filters. Fig. 2 illustrates the transmittance characteristics of an IR pass filter comprising red and blue CFA filters.
Fig. 3 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a pixel circuit with red and blue CFA filters deposited over the pixel circuit.
Fig. 4 is a simplified, high-level circuit of a differencing circuit for correcting the IR signal in the image signal.
Figs. 5-7 illustrate tiling patterns for color sensor arrays.
Fig. 8 illustrates a tiling pattern for a monochrome sensor array. Detailed Description of Embodiments
In embodiments of the present invention, the effect of IR upon an image signal is substantially reduced by electronically subtracting signals generated by IR pixel sensors from signals generated by pixel sensors responsive to both IR and visible light. The IR pixel sensors are sensitive to the IR incident upon the array comprising the sensors, and provide the IR component of the image separately from the color channels (e.g., RGB).
The IR sensors can be created using the existing commercial Color Filter Array (CFA) materials, taking advantage of the fact that these materials are transparent to IR radiation. By a simple overlay of two CFA colors (e.g., R,B) that have no overlapping transmittance in the visible portion of the spectrum, it is possible to create a composite filter element which blocks the visible light and transmits only IR. If two filters are used to form the composite filter, then each of the two filters has a visible radiation pass spectrum that is disjoint from the other, so that there is substantially no transmittance of visible light through the resulting composite filter formed from the combination of the two filters. If more than two filters are used, then each filter has a visible radiation pass spectrum such that the resulting composite filter is substantially opaque to visible light. This composite filter element is thus an IR pass filter, because each of the component filters used to form the composite filter is substantially transparent to IR.
As an example, Fig. 1 shows the transmittance characteristics for conventional red, green, and blue CFA (pigmented acrylate) filters. Note that each filter is substantially transparent to IR. By overlaying red and blue CFA filters, the resulting transmittance of the composite IR pass filter is indicated in Fig. 2, which shows that the visible spectrum is substantially blocked.
The IR pass filter is used to create an IR sensitive pixel, or IR pixel sensor, by depositing the constituent filters making up the IR pass filter over a pixel circuit. This deposition can be accomplished by photo-lithographic techniques well known to the semiconductor industry. A pixel circuit is any circuit which absorbs radiation and provides a signal indicative of the absorbed radiation. For example, the pixel circuit may comprise a photo diode, where photons absorbed by the photo diode generate electron-hole pairs, along with additional circuits to provide an electrical signal, either a voltage or current signal, indicative of the number of photons absorbed by the photo diode.
In one embodiment, Fig. 3 illustrates a simplified cross-sectional view of an IR pixel sensor 300, comprising pixel circuit 310 with red CFA 320 and blue CFA 330 deposited over pixel circuit 310. Photons in the visible region, incident upon the pixel circuit as pictorially indicated by direction 340, are substantially blocked or prevented from being absorbed by pixel circuit 310.
A preferred embodiment will use an imaging array with four types of pixel sensors: three color (e.g., RGB) types and one IR type, all fabricated with commercially available CFA materials. Such an embodiment would provide four channels, or four types of signals. One such embodiment is indicated in Table I, where the spectrum measured for each channel or pixel type is indicated.
Table I: Spectrums for four output channels
Output Channels Spectrum
Channel 1 Red+IR
Channel 2 Green+IR
Channel 3 Blue+IR
Channel 4 IR Only
The IR component of the image signal, once known, can be subtracted from the image to give IR corrected color outputs. This is indicated by a high-level circuit as shown in Fig. 4, where the IR signal on channel 4 is subtracted from each of the signals on channels 1 -3 by MUX 410 and differencing circuit 420. Clearly, MUX 410 is not needed if three differencing circuits are available to perform subtraction of the IR signal for each color channel.
Possible tiling patterns for color images are indicated in Figs. 5-7, and a tiling pattern for a monochrome image is indicated in Fig. 8, where W denotes a pixel sensor sensitive to the entire visible spectrum. Each pattern shown in Figs. 5-8 may be considered a unit cell. Unit cells are repeated in a regular fashion throughout an imaging array. In Fig. 5-7, pixel sensors labeled R, G, and B indicate pixel sensors utilizing, respectively, red, green, and blue CFA filters. In Figs. 5-8, pixel sensors labeled IR (R+B) are IR pixel sensors in which the composite IR pass filter comprises red and blue CFA filters.
The pixel sensors need not actually be in physical contact with each other. The pixel circuits making up a pixel sensor will need to be electrically isolated from other pixel circuits. It is to be understood that a first pixel sensor is said to be contiguous to a second pixel sensor if and only if there are no intervening pixel sensors between the first and second pixels. For example, in Fig. 7, the upper left pixel sensor R is contiguous to the lower left pixel sensor G, the upper pixel sensor G, and the pixel sensor B, but it is not contiguous to the lower right pixel sensor G and the IR pixel sensor. Two pixel sensors may be contiguous without actually physically touching each other. *
Due to chromatic aberration in the imaging lens system, the IR component of an imaged scene may not be in sharp focus. This is actually an advantage to the embodiments disclosed here because it implies that it is not necessary to sample the IR component with high spatial frequency. This is reflected in the tiling patterns indicated by Figs. 7 and 8 for color and monochrome imagers, respectively.
An imaging array with IR pixel sensors, whether monochrome or color, may be used in a second mode as an IR imaging array, where only the signals from the IR pixel sensors are utilized to form an IR image. Thus, imaging arrays made according to the embodiments disclosed here may be configured as dual mode imaging arrays, providing either an IR corrected visible image or an IR image.
Embodiments with other color systems may be realized, such as cyan, magenta and yellow (CMY) systems and magenta, white, and yellow (MWY) systems. In the case of the CMY color system, it would be necessary to overlay all three colors to block visible light. The approach could be extended to the MWY color system as well, but would require additional processing to add a third color (e.g. blue or cyan). This color is required to enable complete blocking of the visible light in an IR sensing pixel. Various modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined below.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. A pixel sensor comprising: a pixel circuit; a first filter substantially transparent to infrared radiation and having a first visible radiation pass spectrum; and a second filter substantially transparent to infrared radiation and having a second visible radiation pass spectrum, wherein the first and second visible radiation pass spectrums are substantially relatively disjoint, wherein the first and second filters are proximal to the pixel circuit so as to substantially prevent visible radiation from propagating through the first and second filters to the pixel circuit.
2. The pixel sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second filters comprise color filter array material.
3. The pixel sensor as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first and second filters are disposed proximal to the pixel circuit by photo-lithography methods.
4. The pixel sensor as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first and second filters comprise color filter array material.
5. A pixel sensor comprising: a pixel circuit; and a plurality of filters to form a composite filter, each filter belonging to the plurality of filters substantially transparent to infrared radiation and having a visible radiation pass spectrum, wherein the composite filter is substantially opaque to visible radiation, wherein the composite filter is proximal to the pixel circuit so as to substantially prevent visible radiation from being propagated through the composite filter and absorbed by the pixel circuit.
6. The pixel sensor as set forth in claim 5, wherein the plurality of filters comprise color filter array material.
7. The pixel sensor as set forth in claim 6, wherein the plurality of filters are disposed proximal to the pixel circuit by photo-lithography.
8. The pixel sensor as set forth in claim 7, wherein the plurality of filters comprise color filter array material.
9. An imager to provide a plurality of electrical signals in response to electromagnetic radiation incident upon the imager, the imager comprising: a plurality of pixel sensors, wherein each pixel sensor belonging to the plurality of pixel sensors comprises a filter substantially transparent to infrared radiation and having a visible radiation pass spectrum and wherein each pixel sensor is to provide a signal responsive to electromagnetic radiation propagating through its filter; and an infrared pixel sensor comprising: a pixel circuit; and a plurality of filters to form a composite filter, each filter belonging to the plurality of filters substantially transparent to infrared radiation and having a visible radiation pass spectrum, wherein the composite filter is substantially opaque to visible radiation, wherein the composite filter is proximal to the pixel circuit so as to substantially prevent visible radiation from propagating through the composite filter and being absorbed by the pixel circuit, and wherein the infrared pixel sensor is to provide an electrical signal indicative of electromagnetic radiation propagating through the composite filter.
10. The imager as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a differencing circuit coupled to the plurality of pixel sensors and the infrared pixel sensor to provide image signals, each image signal indicative of the difference between the signal provided by the infrared pixel sensor and one of the signals provided by the pixel sensors.
11. The imager as set forth in claim 9, wherein the pixel sensor filters and the plurality of filters are deposited by photo-lithography.
12. The imager as set forth in claim 10, wherein the pixel sensor filters and the plurality of filters are deposited by photo-lithography.
13. The imager as set forth in claim 11, wherein the pixel sensor filters and the plurality of filters comprise color filter array material.
14. The imager as set forth in claim 13, wherein the pixel sensor filters and the plurality of filters comprise color filter array material.
15. A method for fabricating an infrared pass filter, comprising: depositing onto a substrate a plurality of filters to form a composite filter, each filter belonging to the plurality of filters substantially transparent to infrared radiation and having a visible radiation pass spectrum, wherein the composite filter is substantially opaque to visible radiation.
16. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein the plurality of filters comprise color filter array material.
17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the substrate is a pixel circuit.
18. A method for providing an image signal, the method comprising: providing a plurality of pixel sensors, wherein each pixel sensor belonging to the plurality of pixel sensors comprises a filter substantially transparent to infrared radiation and having a visible radiation pass spectrum and wherein each pixel sensor is to provide a signal responsive to electromagnetic radiation propagating through its filter; providing an infrared pixel sensor comprising: a pixel circuit; and a plurality of filters to form a composite filter, each filter belonging to the plurality of filters substantially transparent to infrared radiation and having a visible radiation pass spectrum, wherein the composite filter is substantially opaque to visible radiation, wherein the composite filter is proximal to the pixel circuit so as to substantially prevent visible radiation from being absorbed by the pixel circuit, and wherein the infrared pixel sensor is to provide an electrical signal indicative of electromagnetic radiation propagating through the composite filter; and differencing the signal provided by the infrared pixel sensor with the signals provided by the pixel sensors.
19. A unit cell for a tiling pattern in a sensor array, the unit cell comprising: a red pixel sensor so as to be responsive to infrared radiation and substantially only the red portion of the visible spectrum; a first green pixel sensor so as to be responsive to infrared radiation and substantially only the green portion of the visible spectrum a second green pixel sensor so as to be responsive to infrared radiation and substantially only the green portion of the visible spectrum; a blue pixel sensor so as to be responsive to infrared radiation and substantially only the blue portion of the visible spectrum, wherein the red, first green, second green, and blue pixel sensors are contiguous to each other; a infrared pixel sensor so as to be responsive to infrared radiation and not substantially responsive to visible radiation; and a third green pixel sensor so as to be responsive to infrared radiation and substantially only the green portion of the visible spectrum, wherein the second green, blue, third green, and infrared pixel sensor are contiguous to each other, such that the infrared and green pixel sensors are not contiguous to the red and first green pixel sensors.
20. A unit cell for a tiling pattern in a sensor array, the unit cell comprising: an infrared pixel sensor so as to be responsive to infrared radiation and not substantially responsive to visible radiation; and three pixel sensors, each having substantially the same visible spectrum response, wherein the infrared and three pixel sensors are contiguous to each other.
21. A camera comprising: an array comprising at least one pixel circuit; an optical system for focusing visible and infrared electromagnetic radiation upon the array; and a plurality of filters to form a composite filter, each filter belonging to the plurality of filters substantially transparent to infrared radiation and having a visible radiation pass spectrum, wherein the composite filter is substantially opaque to visible radiation, wherein the composite filter is proximal to the at least one pixel circuit so as to substantially prevent the visible electromagnetic radiation focused upon the array from being absorbed by the at least one pixel circuit.
22. A method for providing an infrared image, comprising: providing the camera as set forth in claim 21; and processing only signals provided by the at least one pixel to obtain the infrared image.
PCT/US1999/005283 1998-03-13 1999-03-10 Infrared pixel sensor and infrared signal correction WO1999050682A2 (en)

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