Patent ID: 6721009
Filing Date: 2004-04-13
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method of driving a solid state imaging device comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix for generating signal charges, a plurality of vertical registers for transferring said signal charges generated in said pixels in a vertical direction, at least one horizontal register for transferring said signal charges transferred from said vertical registers in a horizontal direction, and an output section connected to an end of said horizontal register for receiving said signal charges from said horizontal register and outputting electrical signals corresponding to said signal charges, said pixels constituting an image area divided into at least three portions, a first portion at a side near said output section in a horizontal direction, a second portion at a side far from said output section in a horizontal direction and a third portion between said first and second portions, said method comprising:a step of transferring a line of said signal charges from said vertical registers to said horizontal register wherein first unnecessary signal charges generated in said first unnecessary portion are stored in a first side portion of said horizontal register, necessary signal charges generated in said necessary portion are stored in a middle portion of said horizontal register, and second unnecessary signal charges generated in said second unnecessary portion are stored in a second side portion of said horizontal register opposite to said first side portion, a step of transferring said first unnecessary signal charges to said output section, a step of transferring said necessary signal charges to said output section and transferring said second unnecessary signal charges to said first side portion, a step of mixing said second unnecessary signal charges and first unnecessary signal charges of a next line; transferring the next line of said signal charges to said horizontal register, a step of transferring said mixed first and second unnecessary signal charges to said output section; and draining an excess of said mixed signal charges.