Patent ID: 8482640
Filing Date: 2013-07-09
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A drive method for a solid-state image sensor having a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array; each pixel including at least a photoelectric conversion element for receiving light and producing photocharges, a transfer element for transferring the photocharges produced by the photoelectric conversion element to a detection node, and a buffer element for sending a signal from the detection node to a pixel output line; the pixel output line being independently provided for each pixel; one or more memory sections being provided for each pixel; the memory section being used to hold a signal extracted from each pixel through the pixel output line, and the method being characterized in that at least one of following modes is performed: a first drive mode, in which an operation of storing photocharges in each pixel and an operation of holding a signal extracted from the pixel through the pixel output line in one of the memory sections are performed simultaneously at all the pixels and, subsequently, the pixels and the memory sections are operated so that the signals corresponding to one frame are sequentially read from the memory sections corresponding to the pixels and outputted; and a second drive mode, in which the operation of storing photocharges in each pixel and the operation of holding a signal extracted from the pixel through the pixel output line in one of the memory sections are performed repeatedly and simultaneously at all the pixels while the memory section to hold the signal is sequentially selected, and after the signals corresponding to a plurality of frames are held in the memory sections, the pixels and the memory sections are operated so that the signals corresponding to the plurality of frames are sequentially read from the memory sections corresponding to the pixels and outputted; wherein a plurality of memory sections are provided for each pixel, and the first drive mode and the second drive mode are selectively or concurrently performed.