Patent ID: 8049799

Claim:
A method of driving a solid-state imaging apparatus comprising that includes (i) a plurality of pixels, arranged in a matrix, each converting an incident light into an analog electric signal and outputting the analog electric signal, (ii) A/D converters arranged corresponding to each column of the plurality of pixels, that convert analog electric signals into a digital signal and output the digital signals from output terminals thereof, (iii) register circuits arranged correspondingly to each column of the pixels, and (iv) a connecting unit configured to selectively either connect the output terminal of one of the A/D converters arranged correspondingly to one of the columns of the pixels to an input terminal of one of the register circuits that is arranged to correspond to the one column of the pixels, or connect the output terminal of the one of the A/D converters to the input terminal of another register circuit that is arranged to correspond to another column of the pixels, the another register circuit arranged corresponding to the another column of the pixels holds the digital signal received by the input terminal of the one of the register circuits thereof from the output terminal of the one of the A/D converters, the method comprising of: executing an operation of converting an analog electric signal from a first row of the matrix into a digital signal; executing an operation of outputting from one of the register circuits the digital signal based on a pixel in the first row of the matrix; and executing an operation of inputting into one of the A/D converters by one of the A/D converters the analog electric signal from a pixel in a second row of the matrix, simultaneously with the output-operation executing step.