Patent ID: 8553124

Claim:
A solid-state image capturing device comprising: a pixel array unit including plural pixels each converting light selectively incident through a mechanical shutter into charges to be stored in a storage portion and having an overflow path through which charges exceeding a saturation charge amount are discharged; and a driving unit that generates a reset signal via a reset signal line, a transfer signal via a transfer signal line and a selectable power signal via a power select line, the selectable power signal having selectable power potentials, the driving unit configured to (a) start an exposure by simultaneously resetting all pixels of the pixel array unit with each of the selectable power signal and the reset signal set to a relatively high level, (b) maintain the overflow path for each pixel in an opened state during the exposure period until after closure of the mechanical shutter, and (c) after closure of the mechanical shutter, drive the overflow path in a closing direction during a period while signals are read from the pixels by first setting the selectable power signal to a relatively low level and thereafter setting the reset signal to a relatively low level, wherein, each pixel includes a rest transistor that affects the potential of an outlet of the overflow path, the transistor coupled between the outlet and the power select line, the transistor having a gate to which the reset signal line is connected and driven by the driving unit to hold the outlet in the deep state beginning with the resetting of all pixels in the array to after ending of the exposure period, the driving unit maintaining a potential of an outlet of the overflow path for each pixel in a deep state during the exposure period and until after closure of the mechanical shutter and maintaining the potential of the outlet of the overflow path in a shallow state during the period while the signals are read from the pixels after ending the exposure by closing the mechanical shutter.