Patent ID: 8436924
Filing Date: 2013-05-07
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of driving an image sensor having a photoelectric conversion device for converting incident light into electric charges, thereby to generate signal charges corresponding to intensity of the light, and a plurality of charge storage devices for accumulating and storing the signal charges generated from the photoelectric conversion device, imaging being carried out by causing the photoelectric conversion device to generate the signal charges, and successively transferring, while storing, the signal charges from the charge storage devices to adjacent charge storage devices, wherein, when an external trigger is received after receiving a signal generated by depression of an imaging button, control is carried out to maintain voltage applied to read gates and transfer electrodes of the image sensor in an idling state from receipt of the signal generated by depression of the imaging button until receipt of the external trigger, and control is carried out to cancel the idling state of the image sensor by applying voltage to the read gates and the transfer electrodes to successively transfer and store the signal charges from the photoelectric conversion device to the charge storage devices synchronously with the receipt of the external trigger.