Patent ID: 7190403

Claim:
A solid-state image pickup apparatus comprising: a solid-state image sensor comprising a plurality of photosensitive cells arranged in bidimensional arrays for converting light incident from a desired scene to corresponding signal charges, a plurality of vertical transfer paths configured to transfer the signal charges in a vertical direction, and a horizontal transfer path configured to transfer the signal charges transferred by said plurality of vertical transfer paths in a horizontal direction, each of said plurality of photosensitive cells having a photosensitive area divided into at least two photosensitive regions, each of the photosensitive cells around a given photosensitive cell being shifted from the given photosensitive cell by substantially half a pitch which is defined as a distance between the photosensitive cells adjoining each other in the horizontal or the vertical direction, each two of said plurality of vertical transfer paths being formed between said photosensitive cells arranged in the horizontal direction, and extending round one array of said photosensitive cells, said image sensor being formed with electrodes for feeding open/close control signals to gates, which have an opening/closing function for reading out the signal charges from said at least two photosensitive regions of said photosensitive cells either individually or simultaneously; a timing signal generator for generating timing signals for driving said electrodes either individually or simultaneously; a format converter for converting image signals derived from the signal charges, which are read out from said image sensor, to corresponding values having a predetermined format for photometry; and a parameter determining circuit for using a quantity of light incident during an exposure time and determining whether or not the values with the predetermined format are adequate, said parameter determining circuit weighting, if the values are adequate, the values to produce an amount of exposure, thereby determining exposure parameters for picking up the desired scene.