Patent ID: 7821559

Claim:
A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising: pixels arranged two-dimensionally, each of which includes a first photoelectric conversion device and a second photoelectric conversion device respectively adapted to photo-electrically convert light to charges, an accumulating unit adapted to temporarily accumulate the charges accumulated in the first and second photoelectric conversion devices, and an output unit adapted to convert the charges transferred from the first and second photoelectric conversion devices to the accumulating unit to a voltage and to output the voltage: and a control unit adapted, when an accumulated charge amount of the first photoelectric conversion device exceeds a saturation charge amount, to effect control in accordance with a first operation for discharging excess charges to the accumulating unit, and adapted, when an accumulated charge amount of the second photoelectric conversion device exceeds a saturation charge amount, to effect control in accordance with a second operation for discharging excess charges to a charge discharge area.