Patent ID: 8325256

Claim:
A solid-state imaging device comprising: a pixel section comprising a plurality of cells arranged on a semiconductor substrate and each comprising a photo diode configured to photoelectrically convert an optical signal into a signal charge, a read unit which reads the signal charge generated by the photo diode, out to a detection section, a output unit which converts the signal charge into a voltage corresponding to a charge amount and then outputting the voltage, and a reset unit which resets the detection section; a read pulse amplitude control unit which controls exposure time for which the photo diode carries out the photoelectric conversion and dividing the signal charge accumulated in the photo diode into fractions so that the fractions are read from the photo diode; a plurality of line memories to which the plurality of read signals are saved; and an addition unit which synthesizes the plurality of read signals into one signal, the addition unit comprising a determination unit which reads the signal saved to a predetermined line memory and comparing a signal level of the read signal with a predetermined level to determine whether or not to add a signal read from a different line memory to the compared signal, wherein the addition unit further comprises a control switch configured to perform switching such that when a high conversion gain for AD conversion is input, execution of a process of adding together the signals resulting from dividing the signal charges into fractions is avoided.