Patent ID: 9420208
Filing Date: 2016-08-16
CPC Classification: H04N

Claim Text:
1. A driving method for an image pickup apparatus that includes a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion portion, the driving method comprising: performing photoelectric conversion in each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions during period starting at first time and ending at second time; generating a plurality of first signals, each being a signal deriving from electric charge generated through the photoelectric conversion in the photoelectric conversion portion, wherein at least two of the first signals are generated for each of the plurality of pixels; generating a plurality of second signals by adding or averaging the at least two of first signals generated for each of the plurality of pixels to or with the first signals of respectively different pixels; and performing adding or averaging processing in such a way as to equalize an alignment pitch of a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions in a first direction with a signal centroid pitch of the plurality of second signals in the first direction.