Patent ID: 6423959
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: H01L,H04N

Abstract:
A solid-state image pickup device, comprising:a plurality of photoelectric converter elements arranged in columns in a vertical direction with a predetermined pitch and in rows in a horizontal direction with a predetermined pitch on a two-dimensional plane; a plurality of vertical charge transfer paths respectively fabricated adjacent to the columns of said photoelectric converter elements, each said path including a plurality of charge transfer stages; a plurality of vertical charge transfer electrodes fabricated on each said vertical charge transfer paths for transferring charge through said each vertical charge transfer path one said charge transfer stage in each transfer period; a horizontal charge transfer path fabricated to be connected to an end section of each said vertical charge transfer path for receiving charge transferred from said vertical charge transfer path and for transferring the charge in a horizontal direction; a plurality of horizontal charge transfer electrodes fabricated on said horizontal charge transfer path in a horizontal direction; an output amplifier fabricated to be connected to an end section of said horizontal charge transfer path for amplifying charge supplied from said horizontal charge transfer path and for outputting charge resultant from the amplification to an external device; and a control circuit operating in a two driving modes including a thinning readout mode and an adding movie mode, said control circuit reading, in the thinning readout mode, charge from said photoelectric converter elements to only part of said charge transfer stages, said control circuit transferring the charge from said vertical charge transfer path to said horizontal charge transfer path, said control circuit reading, in the adding movie mode, charge from said photoelectric converter elements to all said charge transfer stages, said control circuit transferring the charge of at least two said photoelectric converter elements from said vertical charge transfer path to said horizontal charge transfer path to add each said charge to each other, said control circuit stopping a transfer of charge from said vertical charge transfer path to said horizontal charge transfer path, said control circuit outputting by said horizontal charge transfer path charge resultant from the addition to an external device.