Patent ID: 8085328
Filing Date: 2011-12-27
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus, which uses a CMOS area sensor as an image pickup device and records a picked-up image in a storage medium, comprising: a determination unit adapted to determine an output level of each pixel or each area formed by a plurality of pixels in the image pickup device with reference to a predetermined output level; and a control unit adapted to change a charge transfer period in a horizontal blanking period for a line including a pixel or an area of which the output level is not lower than the predetermined output level, according to a result of determination by said determination unit, wherein the charge transfer period includes a time period over which electric charge accumulated in an amount of a signal in a pixel section of the image pickup device is transferred to a signal accumulator, awaited to be stable, and held, and a time period to be changed includes a time period over which the charge in the amount of the signal is awaited to be stable, within the charge transfer period.