Patent ID: 7061655

Claim:
An image pick-up apparatus comprising: a number of pixels disposed in a honeycomb configuration, and a signal unit generator for reading and detecting charges accumulated in each pixel and generating a signal to be unit used for generating an image signal, wherein: the configuration of the number of pixels includes an alternate repetitive configuration of a pixel row having green and magenta pixels alternately and repetitively disposed and a pixel row having cyan and yellow pixels alternately and repetitively disposed; and said signal unit generator can selectively perform either (i) an individual pixel read operation of individually detecting charges accumulated in each pixel and generating a signal unit or (ii) a pixel addition read operation of detecting charges which are an addition of charges accumulated in the green pixel and charges accumulated in the cyan or yellow pixel and generating a signal unit, and also detecting charges which are an addition of charges accumulated in the magenta pixel and charges accumulated in the yellow or cyan pixel and generating a signal unit.