Patent ID: 8355049

Claim:
A solid-state imaging device comprising: a pixel section having an effective pixel area on which light is incident and which converts incident light into an electric signal, and an optical black area that is shielded from light and placed around the effective pixel area, the pixel section being placed on a substrate; an optical communication section that is placed in proximity to a predetermined optical black area, which is located between the optical communication section and the effective pixel area, of the optical black area placed around the effective pixel area, and converts a signal read from the pixel section into an optical signal and outputs the optical signal, the proximity of the optical communication section to the optical black area corresponds to a positional relation in which heat generated by drive of the optical communication section is propagated to the pixel section, causing dark current in the optical black area to change; a dark current level supplying section that acquires a dark current level according to the dark current from the optical black area in proximity to which the optical communication section is placed, generates an estimated dark current level that varies with a position of a pixel from which a signal is read, on the basis of the acquired dark current level, and outputs the estimated dark current level in synchronization with a timing of reading a signal from the effective pixel area; and a noise compensation section to which the estimated dark current level is supplied from the dark current level supplying section, and which subtracts the estimated dark current level from a signal read from the effective pixel area, wherein the optical black area has a first optical black area and a second optical black area that are formed respectively on one side and the other side across the effective pixel area, and the dark current level supplying section acquires a first dark current level according to dark current from the first optical black area and acquires a second dark current level according to dark current from the second optical black area, and generates an estimated dark current level that varies on the basis of a difference between the first dark current level acquired from the first optical black area, and the second dark current level acquired from the second optical black area.