Patent ID: 6144407
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An image pickup apparatus comprising;a solid-state image pickup device having a light receiving and charge transfer portion which comprises a plurality of light receiving areas for storing charge produced by light reception, charge transfer areas for transferring charge, charge-reading gate areas for reading the charge stored in the light receiving areas to the charge transfer areas, and an output portion for converting the charge transferred through the charge transfer areas into an image pickup signal output,synchronous signal generating means for producing line and frame synchronous signals,timing signal generating means for producing selectively a first internal frame synchronous signal having the same phase as the frame synchronous signal or a fixed phase difference from the frame synchronous signal, an internal line synchronous signal having the same phase as the line synchronous signal or a fixed phase difference from the line synchronous signal, and a second internal frame synchronous signal asynchronous with the frame synchronous signal and for forwarding a charge-reading timing signal and a charge-transfer timing signal each synchronizing with one of the first and second internal frame synchronous signals and the internal line synchronous signal,driving signal generating means for producing a gate driving signal and a charge-transfer driving signal in response to the charge-reading timing signal and the charge-transfer timing signal, respectively, and for supplying the charge-reading gate areas and the charge transfer areas with the gate driving signal and the charge-transfer driving signal, respectively, andcontrol means operative to form a light receiving period signal in response to an edge of the internal line synchronous signal which occurs first after an edge of a light-receiving command signal supplied thereto and, in response to the light receiving period signal, to cause the timing signal generating means to produce the second internal frame synchronous signal and forward the charge-reading timing signal and the charge-transfer timing signal such that a light receiving period for the light receiving and charge transfer portion of the solid-state image pickup device begins after the edge of the internal line synchronous signal which occurs within a time period corresponding to one line period after the edge of the light-receiving command signal.