Patent ID: 7733401

Claim:
An image capturing apparatus comprising: a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional manner, each of the plurality of pixels including a photo-electric conversion device which generates and accumulates a signal according to the amount of light from an object, an output device which outputs a signal, outputted from the photo-electric conversion device, to the outside of the pixel, a storage device which temporarily stores the signal, a first transfer device which transfers the signal outputted from the photo-electric conversion device to a storage capacitor of the output device, and a second transfer device which transfers the signal of the storage capacitor of the output device to the storage device and transfers the signal of the storage device to the storage capacitor of the output device; and a drive circuit which transfers the signal outputted from the photo-electric conversion device to the storage device of the output device by the first transfer device, and transfers the signal of the storage capacitor of the output device to the storage device by the second transfer device, and then transfers the signal from the storage device to the storage capacitor of the output device by the second transfer device, wherein, when the signal outputted from the photo-electric conversion device is transferred to the output device, the drive circuit outputs at least part of the signal from the output device to the outside, and then transfers the signal from the storage capacitor of the output device to the storage device.