Patent ID: 8208051

Claim:
An imaging apparatus comprising: an image sensor having a plurality of pixels, with each of the pixels having a photodiode, an amplifier, a transfer switch for transferring a charge generated by the photodiode, a reset switch for resetting input from the amplifier to a predetermined voltage, and a scanning circuit for providing driving pulses to each of the plurality of pixels; a first conversion unit configured to multiplex input signals including control signals for driving an image sensor to generate a multiplexed signal having a frequency higher than those of the input signals; a transfer unit configured to transfer the multiplexed signal generated by the first conversion unit according to low-voltage differential signaling; a reception unit configured to receive the multiplexed signal from the transfer unit; a second conversion unit configured to extract the control signals for driving the image sensor from the multiplexed signal received by the reception unit and provide the control signals to the scanning circuit of the image sensor; a third conversion unit configured to perform at least one of correction processing and development processing on a signal generated by the image sensor; and a signal generation unit configured to generate and supply processing timing control signals to the first conversion unit and the third conversion unit, wherein the image sensor and the second conversion unit are formed on the same semiconductor chip and the control signals for driving the image sensor include a transfer pulse for switching the transfer switch and a reset pulse for switching the reset switch.