Patent ID: 8159582

Claim:
A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising: a plurality of pixels arranged linearly along columns of N, wherein N is a positive integer, wherein each of the pixels includes a photoelectric conversion element for converting a light into a charge and accumulating the charge, a reset unit for resetting the charge of the photoelectric conversion element and an amplifying unit for amplifying a signal corresponding to the charge of the photoelectric conversion element; a plurality of clamping capacitors each arranged corresponding to each column of the pixels, for accumulating the signal amplified by the amplifying unit; a plurality of common nodes arranged each corresponding to each set including the clamp capacitors of L, wherein L is a positive integer equal to or larger than 2, and a divisor of N, and each connectable to each set including the clamping capacitors of L; a plurality of selecting switches each arranged between the clamping capacitor and the common node; a clamping unit for clamping the common nodes to a reference potential; and a sampling and holding circuit arranged subsequent stage of the common nodes through the clamping unit, and sampling and holding a signal corresponding to a signal of the common node, wherein the solid-state imaging apparatus performs a first operation mode, such that the clamping capacitor samples, as a light signal, the signal corresponding to the charge of the photoelectric conversion element accumulated, thereafter the clamping capacitor samples, as a reset signal, the signal of the photoelectric conversion element after the reset by the reset unit, and further thereafter, by turning on one of the plurality of selecting switches connected to the same common node, the sampling and holding circuit samples and holds a difference signal between the light signal and the reset signal, and the solid-state imaging apparatus performs a second operation mode, such that the clamping capacitor samples, as the reset signal, the signal of the photoelectric conversion element reset by the reset unit, thereafter the clamping capacitor samples, as the light signal, the signal corresponding to the charge of the photoelectric conversion element accumulated, and further thereafter, by turning on a plurality of the selecting switches connected to the same common node, the sampling and holding circuit samples and holds a difference signal between the reset signal and the light signal.