Patent ID: 7719584

Claim:
An image sensor which has a plurality of pixels arrayed to form a plurality of columns, and which provides (a) a high resolution readout mode in which pixel signals of all the pixels are read out and (b) a low resolution readout mode in which one pixel signal is read out from each target readout area including a plurality of pixels and in which a resolution is lower than in the high resolution readout mode, the sensor comprising: a plurality of readout circuits which generate pixel signals based on signals supplied from the pixels of respective columns; a plurality of output channels; a plurality of column selecting switches; and a control circuit which controls said plurality of column selecting switches, wherein said control circuit controls said plurality of column selecting switches so as to output pixel signals of target readout pixels to output channels selected in accordance with a selection rule in a spatial order of the target readout pixels in the high resolution readout mode, and wherein said control circuit controls said plurality of column selecting switches so as to output pixel signals of target readout areas, each target readout area including a plurality of pixels, to output channels selected in accordance with the same rule as the selection rule in a spatial order of the target readout areas in the low resolution readout mode.