Patent ID: 7339672

Claim:
A solid-state image pickup device, comprising: one or more pixels, said or each pixel comprising: a photoelectric conversion part performing photoelectric conversion on incident light; a comparison part connected to an output terminal of the photoelectric conversion part to compare an output voltage of the photoelectric conversion part with a specified reference voltage and produce an output signal representing a result of the comparison; a reset part connected to the output terminal of the photoelectric conversion part to discharge a signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion part; a capacitive element having two ends, one of which is connected to the output terminal of the photoelectric conversion part; and a control line connected to the other end of the capacitive element; and a control voltage application part applying a first control voltage to the control line during a signal storage period so as to make an electric potential at the output terminal of the photoelectric conversion part fall outside a transition region of the comparator, and applying a second control voltage to the control line during a signal read period so as to make the electric potential at the output terminal of the photoelectric conversion part fall within the transition region of the comparator.