Patent ID: 8269838
Filing Date: 2012-09-18
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A solid-state image sensor, which is characterized by comprising: a) a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array, each pixel including 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 an output signal corresponding to a charge from the detection node to a pixel output line to be mentioned later; b) a pixel output line independently provided for each pixel; c) a plurality of memory sections provided for each pixel in order to hold a signal extracted from the pixel through the pixel output line; d) a drive control unit for operating the pixels and the memory sections so that, in a middle of a process where an operation of storing photocharges corresponding to an imaging action at each pixel and an operation of transferring signals from each pixel through the pixel output line to one of the memory sections are repeatedly performed simultaneously at all the pixels while the memory section to hold the signal is sequentially selected for each imaging action, the signals corresponding to a portion or all of the pixels belonging to two frames obtained at different points in time are sequentially read from the memory sections concerned; and e) a trigger signal generating unit for detecting a change in or movement of an imaging object on a basis of the signals corresponding to a portion or all of the pixels belonging to the two frames sequentially read under a control of the drive control unit, and for generating a trigger signal.