Patent ID: 8854507

Claim:
A solid state imaging device comprising: a plurality of pixel units, each pixel unit including a photoelectric conversion element and an amplifying unit that amplifies an output signal from the photoelectric conversion element, the plurality of pixel units being two dimensionally arranged; at least one row of optical black units, each optical black unit including a photoelectric conversion element, an amplifying unit, and a light shielding film that covers the photoelectric conversion element of the optical black unit, the photoelectric conversion element and the amplifying unit of the optical black unit having the same structure as the photoelectric conversion element and the amplifying unit of the pixel unit, at least one row of optical gray units, each optical gray unit including an amplifying unit to which a reference voltage is input, the amplifying unit of the optical gray unit having the same structure as the amplifying unit of the pixel unit; and a correction circuit that corrects an output signal from one of the plurality of pixel units based on an output signal from at least one of the optical black units and an output signal from at least one of the optical gray units, wherein a value of the reference voltage is less than a value of the output signal from the photoelectric conversion element of the pixel unit in a saturated state, and wherein each of the optical gray units include a capacitive element that is connected in series between the reference voltage and an input terminal of the amplifying unit of the optical gray unit, the reference voltage being a pulse voltage.