Patent ID: 8040418

Claim:
A solid state imaging device, comprising: a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in rows and columns, the plurality of pixels performing photoelectric conversion; a plurality of accumulation elements each of which is arranged for a different column of the pixels and operable to accumulate pixel signals of the column; a plurality of signal lines each of which is connected to a different accumulation element among said plurality of accumulation elements and operable to transmit the pixel signals accumulated in said accumulation element; a common signal line which is connected to said plurality of signal lines and operable to transmit the pixel signals accumulated in said accumulation elements; a readout control unit operable to control readout of the pixel signals from said accumulation element to said signal line; and an output control unit operable to select one of said plurality of signal lines and control output of the pixel signals from said selected signal line to said common signal line, wherein said readout control unit and said output control unit are operable to control the readout and the output of the pixel signals, respectively, so that a time period required for the readout is longer than a time period required for the output, wherein said readout control unit is operable to control the readout of the pixel signals so that a start timing of the readout is different among said plurality of accumulation elements and that a time period required for the readout is equal among said plurality of accumulation elements, wherein a delay from a start timing of readout from a predetermined accumulation element to a start timing of another readout from another accumulation element is shorter than the time period required for the readout, the another readout being executed next to the readout from the predetermined accumulation element, and wherein said readout control unit and said output control unit are operable to control the readout and the output of the pixel signals, respectively, so that the time period required for the output is equal to the delay.