Patent ID: 7365786

Claim:
A solid state image sensing apparatus comprising: a solid state image sensor with an overflow drain structure for discharging excessive charge that occurs in photodiodes to drains, the solid state image sensor having an electronic shutter function for discharging all charge stored in photodiodes to drains and transferring a signal charge by vertical charge coupled devices (CCDs) and a horizontal CCD, the signal charge being read out from photodiodes to vertical CCDs via readout gates; a light shielding unit operable to shield the solid state image sensor from incoming light; and a driver unit operable to control the signal charge by modulating a bias voltage for setting a height of an overflow barrier in the overflow drain structure, wherein the driver unit performs a first bias modulation and a second bias modulation as the modulating of the bias voltage, the height of the overflow barrier is made higher, in the first bias modulation, before an end of an exposure period starting from an end of discharge produced by the electronic shutter function to a closure of the light shielding unit, and the height of the overflow barrier is made lower, in the second bias modulation, after the end of the exposure period and before sweeping out charge in the vertical CCDs.