Patent ID: 7271837
Filing Date: 2007-09-18
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of acquiring a line signal, comprising the steps of: i) receiving light with linear light receiving means comprising a plurality of charge coupled device sensors, which are arrayed linearly and located such that end regions of charge coupled device sensors adjacent to each other overlap one upon the other with respect to a direction intersecting with the linear array direction of the charge coupled device sensors, the received light being subjected to photoelectric conversion performed by the linear light receiving means, signal charges being obtained from the photoelectric conversion of the received light, and ii) reading the signal charges from the linear light receiving means through binning processing of the signal charges with respect to the linear array direction of the charge coupled device sensors, at least one line signal being thereby acquired, wherein, at the time of the reading of the signal charges from a plurality of light receiving pixels, which constitute each of the charge coupled device sensors of the linear light receiving means, through the binning processing of the signal charges with respect to the linear array direction of the charge coupled device sensors, the binning processing of the signal charges with respect to the linear array direction of the charge coupled device sensors is performed, the binning processing comprising a process for setting such that a position of a first unit of light receiving pixels, which are to be subjected together to the binning processing, at the end region of one of the charge coupled device sensors adjacent to each other and a position of a second unit of light receiving pixels, which are to be subjected together to the binning processing, at the end region of the other charge coupled device sensor coincide with each other with respect to the linear array direction of the charge coupled device sensors.