Patent ID: 8072526

Claim:
An image sensor comprising: a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arrayed two-dimensionally, each of the plurality of pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit, a charge-voltage converter, a transfer unit which transfers charges generated in the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge-voltage converter, a MOS transistor which outputs a signal based on a voltage of the charge-voltage converter to a signal line, and a setting unit which sets an electric potential of the charge-voltage converter to a first electric potential to set a selected state, and sets the electric potential of the charge-voltage converter to a second electric potential to set a deselected state; and a control unit which performs, in a first period, a control operation of an electric potential of the signal line to turn off the MOS transistor while the electric potential of the charge-voltage converter in a selected pixel is maintained at an electric potential of the selected state, and performs, in a second period subsequent to the first period, a control operation of the electric potential of the signal line to turn on the MOS transistor while the electric potential of the charge-voltage converter in the selected pixel is maintained at an electric potential of the selected state.