Patent ID: 7595827

Claim:
An imaging device, comprising: a photoelectric conversion element that generates an electrical charge according to the amount of light received by said photoelectric conversion element; a first capacitor that receives and stores said electrical charge generated by said photoelectric conversion element; a second capacitor that receives and stores said electrical charge generated by said photoelectric conversion element, the electrostatic capacity of said second capacitor being lower than that of said first capacitor; first and second charge transfer elements that transfer said electrical charge generated by said photoelectric conversion element to said first and second capacitors simultaneously, respectively; a third capacitor that receives said electrical charge stored in said first or second capacitor, the electrical potential of said third capacitor varying according to said received electrical charge; a third charge transfer element that transfers said electrical charge stored in said first capacitor to said third capacitor; a fourth charge transfer element that transfers said electrical charge stored in said second capacitor to said third capacitor at a different time from that of said third charge transfer element; a reset element that resets said electrical charge stored in said third capacitor; and an amplifier element that outputs a pixel signal according to the electrical potential of said third capacitor.