Patent ID: 8325260

Claim:
A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising: a pixel region including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix including a plurality of columns of the pixels, wherein each pixel performs photoelectric conversion and outputs an analog signal; a plurality of analog-to-digital converters, wherein each analog-to-digital converter converts the analog signal output by one of the pixels included in one of the columns of the pixels into a digital signal, and each analog-to-digital converter corresponds to a different one of the columns of the pixels; a plurality of digital memories arranged in a plurality of blocks of two or more digital memories, wherein each digital memory holds the digital signal converted by a different one of the analog-to-digital converters, and each of the two or more digital memories corresponds to a different one of the columns of the pixels; a plurality of block digital output lines, wherein each block digital output line corresponds to a different one of the blocks of the digital memories, wherein the digital signal held in a particular digital memory is output through one of the block digital output lines corresponding to one of the blocks of digital memories including the particular digital memory; a common digital output line that outputs digital signals from the plurality of block digital output lines; a plurality of buffer circuits, wherein each buffer circuit buffers a digital signal from a corresponding one of the block digital output lines, and each buffer circuit is arranged between the corresponding one of the block digital output lines and the common digital output line; and a plurality of block selecting units, wherein each block selecting unit corresponds to a different one of the blocks of the digital memories, wherein each block selecting unit corresponds to a different one of the buffer circuits, and wherein each selecting unit is configured to selectively buffer an output of the corresponding one of the buffer circuits with a different block selecting unit.