Patent ID: 7593047
Filing Date: 2009-09-22
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A color image sensor comprising: a pixel array, in which pixels having photoelectric conversion circuits are arranged in rows and columns; and a pixel selecting circuit having a row selecting circuit and a column selecting circuit; wherein said pixel selecting circuit selects the pixels of all the rows and/or the pixels of all the columns, and selects a pixel signal at an interval of a plurality of pixels from among the selected pixel signals, and outputs the finally selected pixel signals, the color image sensor further comprising: a plurality of sample-and-hold circuits, provided at each column, for respectively sampling and holding pixel signals read out from said pixel array, wherein said row selecting circuit selects each row in said pixel array in a predetermined order, and pixel signals of the selected rows are held in said sample-and-hold circuits, and said column selecting circuit selects and outputs, at intervals of a plurality of columns, pixel signals which are held in the plurality of sample-and-hold circuits, wherein said pixel array is comprised of RGB pixels, said RGB pixels are arranged in a Bayer Space shape, and said sample-and-hold circuits, from among four adjacent rows, hold only R pixel signals from a first row, hold only G pixel signals from second and third rows, and hold only B pixel signals from a fourth row, and said column selecting circuit sequentially selects said held first and second row R, G pixel signals, and, furthermore, sequentially selects said held third and fourth row G, B pixel signals.