Patent ID: 8149304

Claim:
A solid-state imaging device having a plurality of vertical signal lines, the solid-state imaging device comprising, for each vertical signal line: an effective pixel having a photoelectric converter, a transfer transistor, a reset transistor, and a first amplification transistor, the first amplification transistor being connected to (i) the photoelectric converter via the transfer transistor and a power supply via the reset transistor at a gate thereof, (ii) the power supply at a drain thereof, and (iii) the vertical signal line at a source thereof; a dummy pixel having a second amplification transistor being connected to (i) a bias circuit outputting a bias voltage for judging occurrence of a black-crush phenomenon at a gate thereof, (ii) the power supply at a drain thereof, and (iii) the vertical signal line at a source thereof; a switch transistor operable to be OFF while a first signal is outputted from the effective pixel and ON while a second signal is outputted from the dummy pixel, the first signal being outputted according to the level of the gate of the first amplification transistor, the second signal being outputted according to the level of the gate of the second amplification transistor, the switch transistor being provided on a path connecting the source of the second amplification transistor and the vertical signal line; and a read-out unit operable to (i) read out a level of the first signal while the switch transistor is OFF, and (ii) read out a difference between the level of the first signal and a level of the second signal when the switch transistor is turned from OFF to ON.