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Sony patents camera sensor design with light-blocking frame

Sony has filed a patent for an imaging device that places a light-modulating component directly in front of the camera sensor's pixels. The design includes a specific light-blocking frame that sits flush with this component to surround its edges. This setup helps control how light reaches the sensor's active area.

Why it mattersThis is a routine hardware improvement that may help reduce unwanted light interference in camera sensors, but it does not describe a new feature or product launch.

In the filing’s own words

An imaging device according to the present disclosure includes a solid-state imaging element, an optical modulation element, and a first light shielding member. The solid-state imaging element has an effective area in which a plurality of pixels are located in a matrix. The optical modulation element is located on a light incident side of the effective area and modulates incident light. The first light shielding member is located flush with the optical modulation element so as to surround the periphery of the optical modulation element in plan view.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An imaging device, comprising: a solid-state imaging element having an effective area in which a plurality of pixels are located in a matrix; an optical modulation element located on a light incident side of the effective area and configured to modulate incident light; and a first light shielding member located flush with the optical modulation element to surround a periphery of the optical modulation element in plan view.

Facts

Company
Sony (SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION)
Official title
IMAGING DEVICE
Publication number
US20260292320A1
Application number
19474176
Filed
Apr 12, 2024
Published
Sep 24, 2026
Inventors
4
Claims
19

Classified under

H04N 23/55 Electricity & electronicsH04N 23/955 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.