Patent ID: 7154547

Claim:
A solid-state image sensor supporting a low illumination mode and comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices arranged in arrays for outputting color image signals representative of an optical image focused on said plurality of photoelectric conversion devices, said solid-state image sensor comprising: a plurality of first cells each being located at a particular pixel position where a color filter segment is absent between a light incidence side and one of said photoelectric conversion devices corresponding to the particular pixel position, each of said plurality of first cells outputting a particular signal charge corresponding to a quality of light incident without the intermediary of a color filter segment, said first cells providing a signal to a controller during said low illumination mode of said solid-state image sensor; a plurality of second cells located at pixel positions other than pixel positions where said plurality of first cells are located, each of said plurality of second cells outputting a particular second signal charge corresponding to a quantity of light incident via a color filter segment assigned to one of said plurality of photoelectric conversion devices that forms the second cell, said second cells providing a signal to said controller to determine whether to enter said low illumination mode; a charge transfer paths for sequentially transferring first signal charges and second signal charges in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction; and an outputting device for converting the first signal charges and the second signal charges transferred via said charge transfer paths to electric signals for said controller controlling said low illumination mode.