Patent ID: 9344659
Filing Date: 2016-05-17
CPC Classification: H04N

Claim Text:
1. An image pickup apparatus including a plurality of pixel units each including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, a plurality of amplifying transistors configured to amplify signals generated by the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, and a plurality of reset transistors configured to reset the signal generated by the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, the image pickup apparatus comprising: a noise signal holding unit configured to hold a noise signal output from the pixel unit and output the noise signal to a following-stage circuit; a first signal holding unit configured to hold a first optical signal based on signals generated by N photoelectric conversion elements and output from the pixel unit and output the first optical signal to the following-stage circuit where N is an integer equal to or greater than 1; and a second signal holding unit configured to hold a second optical signal based on signals generated by M photoelectric conversion elements and output from the pixel unit and output the second optical signal to the following-stage circuit where M is an integer equal to or greater than 2 and greater than N, wherein a common mode noise rejection ratio obtained as a result of a subtraction process by the following-stage circuit to subtract a signal output from the noise signal holding unit from a signal output from the second signal holding unit is greater than a common mode noise rejection ratio obtained as a result of a subtraction process by the following-stage circuit to subtract the signal output from the noise signal holding unit from a signal output from the first signal holding unit, and wherein an area of the first signal holding unit as viewed in plan is smaller than an area of the second signal holding unit as viewed in plan and/or than an area of the noise signal holding unit as viewed in plan.