Patent ID: 8063962

Claim:
A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising: an imaging section having pixels arranged into a matrix each pixel for outputting a pixel signal corresponding to an amount of an incident electromagnetic wave; a conversion section for digitizing pixel signals outputted from said imaging section; a block memory section formed of a first line memory corresponding to at least N lines (N being an integral number of 2 or more) for retaining said digitized pixel signals; and a drive control section for controlling so as to read out and cause to be retained at said block memory section pixel signals corresponding to M lines (M being an integral number between 2 and N inclusive) of said imaging section in a period shorter than a period necessary for an external circuit receiving said pixel signals read out from said block memory section to process pixel signals corresponding to 1 line so that the number of transitions from a halt condition to an operational condition is fewer than when said operational condition and said halt condition are sequentially executed, and then controlling so as to bring into the halt condition at least one of said imaging section and said conversion section in a remaining period in a period necessary for the external circuit to process pixel signals corresponding to the M lines, wherein said drive control section, after consecutively reading out said pixel signals corresponding to N lines and causing them to be retained at said block memory section, effects control so as to bring at least one of said imaging section and said conversion section into the halt condition in a period remaining until a period necessary for the external circuit to process pixel signals corresponding to N lines.