Patent ID: 8717473

Claim:
A method for operating an imaging apparatus, the apparatus comprising: (a) a photoelectric conversion unit configured to generate a carrier by a photoelectric conversion; (b) a carrier accumulation unit configured to accumulate a carrier generated by the photoelectric conversion unit in a region other than the photoelectric conversion unit; (c) an output unit configured to output a carrier accumulated in the carrier accumulation unit to a floating diffusion region; and (d) a reset unit configured to reset a carrier of the floating diffusion region and a carrier of the accumulation unit, the method comprising: a first step wherein both of the output unit and the reset unit are turned on, thereby resetting a carrier of the carrier accumulation unit; after the first step, a second step wherein the output unit is turned off; after the second step, a third step wherein the output unit is turned on, thereby outputting a carrier of the carrier accumulation unit to the floating diffusion region; after the third step, a fourth step wherein the output unit is turned off; and after the fourth step, a fifth step wherein the output unit is turned on, thereby outputting a carrier of the carrier accumulation unit to the floating diffusion region, wherein the second step through the fifth step are conducted during a single frame period.