Patent ID: 8970757
Filing Date: 2015-03-03
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A solid-state image pickup element comprising: a pixel area in which unit cells each having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a signal read-out unit of a signal electric charge provided in common for the photoelectric conversion elements, are arranged two-dimensionally in rows and columns; a plurality of vertical output lines which are connected in common to the unit cells of each column of the two-dimensional arrangement and transfer, on the column basis, signals of the unit cells, which are read out by the signal read-out unit; a selection unit configured to select the plurality of unit cells on the row basis of the two-dimensional arrangement; a plurality of first signal storage units, at least a first predetermined number of which are connected to each vertical output line to store the signal transferred from the unit cell selected by the selection unit to each of the vertical output lines; a plurality of second signal storage units, at least a second predetermined number of which are connected to each vertical output line to store the signals transferred from the first number of first signal storage units; a horizontal transfer unit configured to transfer the signals transferred from the plurality of second signal storage units, in the row direction on the column basis; and a plurality of control line units configured to control a driving of the signal read-out unit, the plurality of first signal storage units, and the plurality of second signal storage units of each of the unit cells, wherein the plurality of control line units selectively drive the plurality of first signal storage units and the plurality of second signal storage units such that in a period of time for selectively driving the first signal storage unit to store the signal transferred from the unit cell to the vertical output line by the signal read-out unit of the selected unit cell, another first signal storage unit connected to the vertical output line and the second signal storage unit to store the signal transferred from the another first signal storage unit are selectively driven.