CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Phase of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2019/019193 filed on May 14, 2019, which claims priority benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2018-093445 filed in the Japan Patent Office on May 15, 2018. Each of the above-referenced applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology relates to an imaging device and an imaging system, and particularly to an imaging device having a structure in which an upper pixel portion and a lower signal processing circuit portion are stacked and the like.

BACKGROUND ART

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that an image sensor and an output interface are separately provided in a camera module. With such a configuration, the recent need for miniaturizing camera modules may not be satisfied.

CITATION LIST

Patent Document

Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2012/032809

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

An object of the present technology is to effectively satisfy the need for miniaturizing camera modules.

Solutions to Problems

A concept of the present technology is directed to:

an imaging device including:

a pixel unit;

an image processing unit that processes an image signal generated by the pixel unit;

an encoding unit that encodes the image signal processed by the image processing unit; and

an address assignment unit that assigns an address to a compressed signal encoded by the encoding unit, in which

the pixel unit is provided on a first substrate, and

the image processing unit, the encoding unit, and the address assignment unit are provided on a second substrate to be stacked on the first substrate.

According to the present technology, the pixel unit is provided on the first substrate, and the image processing unit, the encoding unit, and the address assignment unit are provided on the second substrate to be stacked on the first substrate. The image signal generated by the pixel unit is processed by the image processing unit, and then encoded by the encoding unit. Then, the address assignment unit assigns an address to the encoded compressed signal.

As described above, according to the present technology, the image processing unit, the encoding unit, and the address assignment unit are provided on the second substrate, whereby the need for miniaturizing camera modules can be effectively satisfied.

Note that, in the present technology, an output unit that converts signals from the address assignment unit into output signals and outputs them to a network may be further included, and the output unit may be provided on the second substrate, for example. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to further miniaturize camera modules. Furthermore, in the present technology, a time synchronization function unit that communicates with an external device to set the time may be further included, and the time synchronization function unit may be provided on the second substrate, for example. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to perform highly accurate time synchronization with the external device, thereby enabling highly accurate synchronous control of the imaging timing.

Furthermore, another concept of the present technology is directed to:

an imaging system including:

an imaging device; and

an electronic control unit to be connected to the imaging device through a network, in which

the imaging device includes:

a pixel unit;

an image processing unit that processes an image signal generated by the pixel unit;

an encoding unit that encodes the image signal processed by the image processing unit; and

an address assignment unit that assigns an address to a compressed signal encoded by the encoding unit,

the pixel unit is provided on a first substrate, and

the image processing unit, the encoding unit, and the address assignment unit are provided on a second substrate to be stacked on the first substrate.

Effects of the Invention

According to the present technology, it becomes possible to effectively satisfy the need for miniaturizing camera modules. Note that the effects described herein are not necessarily limited, and may be any of the effects described in the present disclosure.

