Patent ID: 7868935
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising: an imaging area including an effective pixel section and a light proof optical black section being arranged in the imaging area where the light proof optical black section is adjacent to the effective pixel section, wherein the optical black section includes a first optical black section arranged at one end of the imaging area in the vertical direction, and a second optical black section arranged between the effective pixel section and the first optical black section, the effective pixel section includes a plurality of photoelectric transducers which are two-dimensionally arranged, and a plurality of detection sections which generate pixel signals by voltage conversion of signal charges, which are being subjected to photoelectric conversion in the photoelectric transducers, and the second optical black section includes a charge-exhaust-pixel-structure in which signal charges generated from the second optical black section are exhausted in a drain which is supplied with a constant voltage; an AD-conversion circuit to which pixel signals generated in the imaging area are supplied through a plurality of vertical signal lines, and which converts the pixel signals to digital signals; a signal processing circuit which receives the digital signals obtained in the AD-conversion circuit, and outputs digital video signals, wherein the signal processing circuit adds or subtracts first digital signals to or from second digital signals, the first digital signals are generated in the first optical black section, and converted in the AD-conversion circuit, the second digital signals are generated in the effective pixel section, and converted in the AD conversion circuit; a plurality of first transistors having one end, the other end, and a gate electrode, respectively, each of one ends is connected to each of a plurality of vertical signal lines, each of the other ends is connected to the node of the ground voltage, and each gate electrode is connected to a first gate control line in common; a first bias-voltage generating circuit which generates a first bias-voltage; a switching circuit which receives the first bias-voltage and the ground voltage, selects one of the both voltages, and outputs selected voltage to the first gate control line; a second bias-voltage generating circuit which generates a second bias-voltage; a plurality of second transistors having one end, the other end, and a gate electrode, respectively, the second bias-voltage is supplied to each of one ends, each of the other ends is connected to the plurality of vertical signal lines, each gate electrode is connected to a second gate control line in common; and a timing signal generating circuit which supplies a control signal for on-off control of a plurality of second transistors to the second gate control line, wherein the signal processing circuit comprises: a vertical-stripe noise suppression circuit, which adds and averages digital signals on a plurality of lines, wherein the digital signals are generated in the first optical black section, and converted in the AD-conversion circuit, and adds or subtracts the averaged digital signal to or from digital signals which are generated in the effective pixel section, and are converted in the AD-conversion circuit.