Patent ID: 7592575

Claim:
A photoelectric conversion device comprising: a plurality of pixel columns each including a plurality of pixels, each pixel including: a photoelectric conversion element, a reset transistor for resetting a signal generated in the photoelectric conversion element, and a source follower input transistor for amplifying the signal generated in the photoelectric conversion element; and a plurality of readout wirings, the plurality of readout wirings being connected to the plurality of pixels and a plurality of readout transistors of a readout circuit in a respective manner, with each readout wiring connecting a corresponding readout transistor to a corresponding pixel separately from other pixels of the plurality of pixels in order to read out a signal from the corresponding pixel independently from the other pixels, the signal being read out into the readout circuit, with each of the plurality of readout wirings being separately connected to the readout circuit, such that signals from a plurality of pixels in one of the plurality of pixel columns and signals from a plurality of pixels in another one of the plurality of pixel columns are read out approximately at a simultaneous timing via the plurality of readout wirings into the readout circuit, wherein the reset transistor and the source follower input transistor are arranged between a photoelectric conversion element in a first pixel column and a photoelectric conversion column in a second pixel column arranged adjacent to the first pixel column, with the reset transistor and the source follower input transistor being included in the first pixel column or the second pixel column.