Patent ID: 6972791

Claim:
A solid-state camera device having a pixel matrix with a plurality of photoelectric pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, and a vertical scanning circuit that selects a row of the plurality of rows of photoelectric pixels, and a horizontal scanning circuit that selects a column of the plurality of columns of photoelectric pixels, and wherein an image signal is read by selecting at least one photoelectric pixel by the vertical scanning circuit and horizontal scanning circuit and transferring a charge from the at least one selected photoelectric pixel, the improvement comprising: a vertical group scanning circuit and a vertical selector circuit included in the vertical scanning circuit, the vertical group scanning circuit selecting successive row groups that each includes a plurality of rows, the vertical selector circuit selecting at least one desired row within each successive row group selected by the vertical group scanning circuit to provide a row pixel set, the successive row groups extending substantially completely across the pixel matrix in a vertical direction; and a horizontal group scanning circuit and a horizontal selector circuit included in the horizontal scanning circuit, the horizontal group scanning circuit selecting successive column groups that each includes a plurality of columns, the horizontal selector circuit selecting at least one desired column within each successive column group selected by the horizontal group scanning circuit to provide a column pixel set, the successive column groups extending substantially completely across the pixel matrix in a horizontal direction.