Patent ID: 7916199

Claim:
A photo detection device having pixel circuits arranged respectively in intersections of a plurality of data lines and scanning lines, the device comprising: a first sensing circuit which becomes active in a first mode, charges and discharges a capacitance with a photocurrent flowing through a photo detecting element of each pixel circuit and which amplifies and outputs a voltage obtained thereby by a source follower amplifier; a second sensing circuit which becomes active in the second mode, charges and discharges a capacitance with the photocurrent flowing through the photo detecting element, for a predetermined storage time, and outputs electric charge stored in the capacitance; and an output amplifier, provided for each of the plurality of data lines, which amplifiers the voltage outputted from said first sensing circuit at a predetermined gain in the first mode and which converts the electric charge outputted from said second sensing circuit, into voltage in the second mode, wherein the first mode and the second mode are switched according to an amount of light received by the photo detecting element included in each pixel circuit; the gain is controlled, according to the amount of light received, in the first mode; and the storage time is controlled in the second mode.