Patent ID: 8314875

Claim:
An image capturing apparatus comprising: a solid-state image capturing element that includes a 2-dimensional array of pixels comprised of photoelectric conversion elements, wherein the solid-state image capturing element (i) divides the pixels on each of horizontal lines into groups of a predetermined number of pixels, and (ii) outputs charge signals on the pixels in a predetermined order in units of a horizontal line so as to divide the charge signals of each group of the predetermined number of pixels into line segments; a converter that sequentially converts to respective pixel data the charge signals on the pixels outputted in the predetermined order in units of a horizontal line from the solid-state image capturing element; a storage device that stores the respective pixel data for the horizontal line converted by the converter; an address acquirer that acquires read addresses for reading the respective pixel data from the storage device in a same order that the corresponding pixels are arranged on a photosensitive surface of the solid-state image capturing element, the address acquirer acquiring the read addresses for each of the pixel data based on (i) the order in which any one of the pixel data on a corresponding line segment is outputted, and (ii) the order of any group on a horizontal line which includes a pixel corresponding to the pixel data; and a first reader that reads the pixel data from the storage device in accordance with the read addresses acquired by the address acquirer; wherein the address acquirer comprises: a register that stores basic read addresses for reading the respective pixel data from the storage device in the same order that the corresponding pixels are arranged on the photosensitive surface of the solid state image capturing element, the basic read addresses being calculated based on (i) the order in which any one of the pixel data on a corresponding line segment is outputted, and (ii) the order of any group on a horizontal line which includes a pixel corresponding to the pixel data; a second reader that reads the basic read addresses sequentially from the register; a base address generator that generates, as a reference of a read address for each pixel data, a base address corresponding to a number of repetitions of the reading by the second reader; and an adder that adds (i) the basic read addresses outputted from the register, and (ii) the base address generated by the base address generator; and wherein the first reader reads the pixel data from the storage device in accordance with a read address indicative of a result of the addition by the adder.