Patent ID: 8018505
Filing Date: 2011-09-13
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image-pickup apparatus comprising: an image-pickup element including an effective-pixel part provided to receive an optical image of a subject and generate an image signal, and a light-shielding-pixel part including plural pixel parts shielded from light; a signal-processing unit configured to set a reference level of an output signal transmitted from the effective-pixel part; and a control unit configured to switch between at least two areas used to set the reference level, the areas being provided in the light-shielding-pixel part, based on at least one of an accumulation time of the image-pickup element, an ambient temperature of the image-pickup element, and a gain of a signal output from the image-pickup element, wherein the light-shielding-pixel part includes first and second light-shielding-pixel parts with different configurations, and wherein the control unit switches between a case where the first light-shielding-pixel part is used and a case where both of the first and second light-shielding-pixel parts are used, as an area used to set the reference level.