Patent ID: 7773140

Claim:
An image pickup apparatus comprising: a first CCD image pickup unit which picks up images; a first CDS/AD unit which executes correlative double sampling and AD conversion for signals outputted by said first CCD image pickup unit and outputting digital signals; a second CCD image pickup unit which picks up images; a second CDS/AD unit which executes correlative double sampling and AD conversion for signals outputted by said second CCD image pickup unit and outputting digital signals; an input selection unit which executes selection processing for each of the digital signals outputted by said first CDS/AD unit and said second CDS/AD unit, and selecting and outputting one of said digital signals; a camera signal processing unit which executes camera signal processing for the digital signal outputted by said input selection unit and outputting image signals; a sensor driving pulse generation unit which generates and outputs signals for executing driving or control to said first CCD image pickup unit and said first CDS/AD unit, said second CCD image pickup unit and said second CDS/AD unit, said input selection unit, said camera signal processing unit and said stereo image pickup control unit; and a stereo image pickup control unit which controls said input selection unit, said camera signal processing unit and said sensor driving pulse generation unit; wherein outputting timing of image pickup data of said second CCD image pickup unit is retarded by masking a readout signal and a vertical transfer signal outputted by said sensor driving pulse unit for driving said second CCD image pickup unit and holding signals in a vertical CCD.