Patent ID: 8289432

Claim:
A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising: a plurality of pixels, arranged in a two-dimensional array, for generating an analog image signal based on photoelectric conversion; and an A/D converter arranged correspondingly to each column of the two-dimensional array of the pixels, for converting the analog image signal from the pixels into a digital signal including higher order bits and lower order bits in time series, wherein the A/D converter includes first and second counters for counting respectively the higher order bit and the lower order bits of the digital signal, arranged commonly for the columns of the two-dimensional array of the pixels; a first holding unit for holding the higher order bits of the digital signal received from the first counter through a first portion of data lines; a second holding unit for holding the lower order bits of the digital signal received from the second counter through a second, remaining portion of the data lines; a third holding unit for holding the digital signal from the first holding unit; a fourth holding unit for holding the digital signal from the second holding unit; a first output line for outputting the digital signal from the third holding unit; a second output line for outputting the digital signal from the fourth holding unit, wherein the first and second output lines are arranged between a line extending along the first portion of the data lines and a line extending along the second portion of the data lines.