Patent ID: 8174590
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: H01L,H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a pixel section in which pixels each including a photoelectric conversion section for generating a signal charge according to an exposure amount are two-dimensionally arrayed; a storage section that is light-shielded and temporarily stores the signal charge of the pixel section; a second reset section that divides the pixels in the pixel section into a plurality of pixel groups that do not overlap each other and sequentially resets the storage sections of the plurality of pixel groups; a reset signal reading section that sequentially reads reset signals of the storage sections of the plurality of pixel groups reset by the second reset section; a second signal charge reading section that reads one or more times the signal charge generated by exposure of a predetermined pixel group out of the plurality of pixel groups within a time segment during which the second reset section sequentially resets the storage sections of the plurality of pixel groups before the storage sections of the predetermined pixel group are reset by the second reset section; a second image processing section that creates second image data for image display based on the signal charge read by the second signal charge reading section; a first reset section that collectively resets all photoelectric conversion sections that belong to the plurality of pixel groups after reading of reset signals of the plurality of pixel groups by the reset signal reading section is completed; a transfer section that exposes the photoelectric conversion sections for a predetermined time after resetting by the first reset section and then collectively transfers the signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion sections to the storage sections; a first signal charge reading section that reads the signal charge in the storage sections transferred by the transfer section; and a first image processing section that creates first image data for still image recording based on the signal charge read by the first signal charge reading section and the reset signal read by the reset signal reading section.