Patent ID: 7088395

Claim:
An apparatus for capturing an image of an object, comprising: a controller to control an image forming operation of the apparatus; a first addressing circuit communicating with the controller for designating a first address; a second addressing circuit communicating with the controller for designating a second address; a switch communicating with the controller for outputting an image capturing start signal; and an imager having a plurality of circuit cells two-dimensionally arranged within an image area where the image is projected, the plurality of circuit cells respectively corresponding to pixels of the image; wherein each of the plurality of circuit cells comprises: a photoelectric converting element to generate charges associated with an amount of light from the object; a charge storing element to store charges transferred from the photoelectric converting element; and a MOS transistor, including a drain that is electrically connected to the charge storing element, a gate that is controlled by the first addressing circuit, and a source that is controlled by the second addressing circuit; wherein the circuit cells are arbitrarily selectable as one of an arbitrary single circuit cell and an arbitrary group of circuit cells by the controller by designating one of a single address and a group of addresses at a time via the first and second addressing circuits, so as to discharge charges from one of a selected single charge storing element and a selected group of charge storing elements; wherein the plurality of circuit cells are divided into: (i) first group circuit cells to capture the image of the object, and (ii) second group circuit cells, which are substantially uniformly disposed in the first group circuit cells in the image area, to measure an amount of light from the object for a photometry operation; and wherein the controller controls the first group circuit cells and the second group circuit cells to simultaneously commence respective photoelectric converting actions in response to the image-capturing start signal, wherein the controller measures a signal value of at least one circuit cell selected by the controller in the second group circuit cells while the first group circuit cells are performing the photoelectric converting action, and wherein the controller stops the photoelectric converting action of the first group circuit cells when the signal value reaches a predetermined value.