Patent ID: 8081235
Filing Date: 2011-12-20
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus having an image pickup device including a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged pixel sections, each of which has a photoelectric conversion part for generating electric charge by photoelectric conversion and has a floating diffusion part for storing the generated electric charge, comprising: a collective reset unit adapted to perform collective resetting of the photoelectric conversion parts and the floating diffusion parts of the plurality of two-dimensionally arranged pixel sections; a collective transfer unit adapted to collectively transfer electric charges stored in the photoelectric conversion parts to the floating diffusion parts after elapse of a predetermined time period from the collective resetting; a sequential reset unit adapted to perform, on a predetermined-number-of-pixel-sections basis, sequential resetting of the photoelectric conversion parts and the floating diffusion parts of the plurality of two-dimensionally arranged pixel sections; a sequential transfer unit adapted to perform, on the predetermined-number-of-pixel-sections basis, sequential transfer of the electric charges stored in the photoelectric conversion parts to the floating diffusion parts after elapse of a predetermined time period from the sequential resetting; and a detection unit adapted to calculate differential information based on pixel signals obtained by said collective transfer unit and said sequential transfer unit, and detect a flicker based on the calculated differential information.