Patent ID: 8553118

Claim:
A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising: a column circuit that includes: a plurality of signal holding units each having an input node to which a signal is supplied from an output node of a pixel, a plurality of common output units each having an input node to which signals from output nodes of the signal holding units of a predetermined number are supplied, a plurality of selecting units, each arranged in an electric path between an output node of a corresponding signal holding unit and an input node of a corresponding common output unit, to transfer a signal from the output node of the corresponding signal holding unit to the input node of the corresponding common output unit, and a feedback path for connecting an output node of one of the common output units to an input node of the one of the common output units, wherein, at a state of supplying a signal from the output node of the one of the common output units to the input node of the one of the common output units through the feedback path, a corresponding selecting unit is shifted to a conducting state so that a corresponding signal holding unit performs a clamping operation to clamp a signal outputted from a corresponding pixel, and wherein the clamping operation is performed such that a time changing rate of an amplitude of a drive pulse supplied to the corresponding selecting unit for shifting from a non-conducting state to the conducting state is greater than a time changing rate of the amplitude of the drive pulse supplied to the corresponding selecting unit for shifting from the conducting state to the non-conducting state; a driving unit for supplying the drive pulse to the selecting units, wherein the driving unit includes an output buffer stage for amplifying and outputting a control signal on which generation of the drive pulse is based, and wherein the output buffer stage includes a P type MOS transistor and an N type MOS transistor having gates to which the control signal is supplied, drains of the P type MOS transistor and the N type MOS transistor are mutually connected, a power source voltage is supplied to a source of the P type MOS transistor, and a source of the N type MOS transistor is grounded through a constant current source; and a monitoring unit for monitoring the time changing rate of the amplitude of the drive pulse, wherein the monitoring unit feeds back a monitoring result to the constant current source to adjust a current value of the constant current source so as to maintain constant the time changing rate of the amplitude of the drive pulse.