Patent ID: 7525585

Claim:
A solid-state image pickup device in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix, each column of pixels in the matrix being connected to a corresponding output line, each pixel having a charge holding unit that holds an electric charge corresponding to a received light intensity, and when rendered effective, outputting a pixel signal based on a fluctuation of the electric charge held in the charge holding unit, the pixel signal being detected via the output line, the solid-state image pickup device comprising: a separate reset switch in each pixel, the reset switch opening and closing a connection between the charge holding unit in the pixel and an output circuit which repeatedly outputs a cycle of high and low potentials; a plurality of row control signal lines, each connecting to pixels in a row, and controlling the opening and closing of the reset switches in the pixels in the row; a row scan circuit that (a) selects rows sequentially, (b) applies, to the row control signal line of a selected row, one of a low potential for opening the reset switch and a high potential for closing the reset switch, a pixel in the selected row being rendered effective by closing and then opening the reset switch when an output of the output circuit is at a high potential, and then rendered ineffective by closing and then opening the reset switch when the output of the output circuit is at a low potential, and (c) goes to a high impedance with respect to the row control signal lines of non-selected rows without applying either the low potential or the high potential; and an ALLRS circuit operable to apply the low potential to the row control signal lines of non-selected rows for a period starting before and finishing after the rise of the output circuit output from a low potential to a high potential.