Patent ID: 6586771
Filing Date: 2003-07-01
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A timing signal generating device for generating timing signals adapted for driving a solid-state image pickup device, wherein the image pickup device has a large number of photoelectric converter elements arranged in a row and column matrix and is capable of generating and outputting image signals for one frame in a plurality of horizontal scan periods, the image signals being generated and outputted within one horizontal scan period represent signal charges accumulated in the photoelectric converter elements of at least one row, the image pickup device has at least one operation mode, a plurality of operations is done in every said operation mode, the timing signal generating device comprising:at least one rewritable storage formed on a semiconductor substrate, for rewritably storing data; and a timing signal generator integrated together with said storage on the semiconductor substrate for receiving clock pulses, counting number of the clock pulses and generating, according to the data stored in said storage, a sequence of timing signals of a plurality of kinds for every operation mode of the solid-state image pickup device.