Patent ID: 8659693
Filing Date: 2014-02-25
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A solid-state image pickup element comprising: a pixel portion in which plural pixels each carrying out photoelectric conversion are disposed in a matrix; and a pixel signal reading portion having a function of reading out pixel signals from said pixel portion to signal lines, and sampling reset levels and signal levels of said pixels, wherein said pixel signal reading portion includes column processing units converting analog signals read out into digital signals in correspondence to a column disposition of said pixels, respectively, and each of said column processing units carries out the sampling for the reset level of the pixel plural times, and averages a result of the sampling after the result of the sampling is integrated in a digital integrating circuit within each of said column processing units, wherein each of said column processing units includes: a comparator comparing the analog signal read out from corresponding ones of said pixels with a reference signal having a ramp waveform in which a voltage value is changed with time; and a counter latch whose operation is controlled in accordance with an output from said comparator, which is adapted to count a comparison time of said comparator, and which stops a counting operation thereof when the output from said comparator is inverted in polarity, thereby holding a count value.