Patent ID: 8179461

Claim:
A solid-state image pickup device comprising: a pixel array section including an effective pixel region having pixels for providing signals that are to be used as image signals, an optical black pixel region having pixels, which are shielded from light, for providing signals that are to be used as black reference signals, and a pixel region that is provided between the effective pixel region and the optical black pixel region and that has a light-shielding structure which is the same as a light-shielding structure of the effective pixel region; a vertical drive section configured to perform driving so that signals of pixels of the pixel region which are disposed at a side of the effective pixel region in a vertical direction are skipped and signals of the pixels of the effective pixel region and the optical black pixel region are read; and a horizontal drive section configured to perform driving so that, from among the pixels which are selected by driving performed by the vertical drive section so that the signals of the pixels are read, the signals of the pixels of the pixel region which are disposed at a side of the effective pixel region in a horizontal direction are skipped and the signals of the pixels of the effective pixel region and the optical black pixel region are read.