Patent ID: 7535505

Claim:
An imaging device, comprising: a color filter formed by a plurality of color elements each of which has any one of N colors, where N is an integer greater than one; an imager having a plurality of pixels; and a provider for providing a drive pulse to said imager, wherein the plurality of color elements are divided into a plurality of color blocks each of which has a plurality of horizontal color element rows and N of vertical color element columns, the plurality of pixels are divided into a plurality of pixel blocks each of which has a plurality of horizontal pixel rows and N vertical pixel columns, the N vertical color element columns respectively include N color elements which are different in colors with each other, the plurality of horizontal pixel rows respectively correspond to the plurality of horizontal color element rows, the N vertical pixel columns respectively correspond to the N vertical color element columns, and the drive pulse includes a reading pulse for reading pixel signals from the N vertical pixel columns in a thinning out manner, a vertical transfer pulse for transferring the pixel signals read by the reading pulse in a vertical direction, and a horizontal transfer pulse for transferring the pixel signals transferred by the vertical transfer pulse in a horizontal direction every time a vertical transfer corresponding to all of the plurality of horizontal pixel rows is performed without combining any of the pixel signals prior to horizontal transfer, and the color elements corresponding to pixels selected for reading of the pixel signals from the N vertical pixel columns have different colors for each vertical pixel column.