Patent ID: 8692917

Claim:
An image sensor comprising: a pixel array including a plurality of first pixel units, each of which includes 2N+1 (N being a positive integer) first photoelectric conversion units and a first charge-voltage converter which converts charges generated by the 2N+1 first photoelectric conversion units into first color voltage signals, and a plurality of second pixel units, each of which includes 2N+1 second photoelectric conversion units and a second charge-voltage converter that converts charges generated by the 2N+1 second photoelectric conversion units into second color voltage signals, wherein the first photoelectric conversion units of the first pixel units and the second photoelectric conversion units of the second pixel units are arranged alternately in a column direction along each column of the pixel array; a first vertical output line which transfers the first color voltage signal in the column direction; and a second vertical output line which transfers the second color voltage signal in the column direction, wherein the pixel array is driven to perform in parallel: a first operation to transfer charges of 2M or 2M+1 (M being a positive integer not larger than N) of the first photoelectric conversion units to the first charge-voltage converter to add the transferred charges, to convert the added charges into a voltage by the first charge-voltage converter, and to output the first color voltage signal corresponding to the voltage of the first charge-voltage converter to the first vertical output line, and a second operation to transfer charges of 2M or 2M+1 (M being a positive integer not larger than N) of the second photoelectric conversion units to the second charge-voltage converter to add the transferred charges, to convert the added charges into a voltage by the second charge-voltage converter, and to output the second color voltage signal corresponding to the voltage of the second charge-voltage converter to the second vertical output line.