Patent ID: 7692704

Claim:
An imaging apparatus that performs a driving method, the imaging apparatus comprising: at least one pixel unit including: a photoelectric conversion section; an amplifying element for amplifying a signal generated in the photoelectric conversion section; and a reset portion resetting an input node of the amplifying element; at least four capacitors; at least four sampling switches each corresponding to each of the four capacitors; and a system control circuit that performs a driving method that resets the input node of the amplifying element by the reset portion, samples a first reset signal of the amplifying element and stores the first reset signal in a first capacitor, samples a second reset signal and stores the second reset signal in a second capacitor continuously to the first sampling by a second sampling switch, samples a light signal corresponding to a signal generated in the photoelectric conversion section for the predetermined period, stores the light signal in a third capacitor by a third sampling switch, samples a light signal corresponding to a signal generated in the same photoelectric conversion section as the third sampling, continuously to the third sampling by a fourth sampling switch, mixes at least two signals sampled at the first capacitor and second capacitor, mixes at least two signals sampled at the third capacitor and fourth capacitor, and performs difference processing between a first mixing signal obtained by the first mixing and a second mixing signal obtained by the second mixing.