Patent ID: 8094220

Claim:
A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising: a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, each photoelectrically converting an incident light into an analog electric signal and outputting the analog electric signal; an A/D converter arranged correspondingly to each of columns of the pixels, for A/D converting the analog electric signal from one of the pixels into a digital signal and for outputting the digital signal from an output terminal of the A/D converter; a register circuit arranged correspondingly to each of the columns of the pixels; and a connecting unit for connecting the output terminal of the A/D converter arranged correspondingly to one of the columns of the pixels to an input terminal of the register circuit arranged correspondingly to the one column of the pixels, for connecting the output terminal of the A/D converter arranged correspondingly to the one of the columns of the pixels to an input terminal of the register circuit arranged correspondingly to another of the columns of the pixels, or for connecting an output terminal of the register circuit arranged correspondingly to the one of the columns of the pixels to the input terminal of the register circuit arranged correspondingly to the other of the columns of the pixels, wherein the register circuit arranged correspondingly to the one column of the pixels receives by the input terminal thereof the digital signal from the output terminal of the A/D converter or from the output terminal of the register circuit arranged correspondingly to the other column of the pixels, and the analog electric signal from one of the pixels based on the incident light is A/D converted by the A/D converter in different timings within one horizontal synchronizing period to a plurality of the digital signals, and the plurality of the digital signals are held by different ones of the register circuits through the connecting unit.