Patent ID: 8169525

Claim:
An image sensing device comprising: a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arrayed in a direction along a row and in a direction along a column; a row selection unit that selects a row in the pixel array; a readout unit that reads out and temporarily holds a signal from the row selected by the row selection unit; an output amplifier; and a horizontal scanning unit that scans the readout unit in a direction along a row, wherein the readout unit includes a plurality of holding blocks, each of the plurality of holding blocks includes at least one column signal holding circuit that temporarily holds a signal of one column of the row selected by the row selection unit, the column signal holding circuit includes: a first holding unit that holds a signal output from a pixel; a second holding unit; and a transfer switch that transfers the signal held in the first holding unit to the second holding unit, the horizontal scanning unit scans the plurality of column signal holding circuits in the readout unit in a direction along a row, such that the signals of the columns held in the second holding units of the column signal holding circuits are sequentially transferred to the output amplifier, in each of the plurality of holding blocks, a first operation in which the signal held in the first holding unit of the column signal holding circuit is transferred to the second holding unit via the transfer switch is performed, and subsequently, a second operation and a third operation are performed in parallel, wherein, in the second operation, the signal transferred to and held in the second holding unit of the column signal holding circuit is transferred to the output amplifier in response to scanning by the horizontal scanning unit, and, in the third operation, a signal output from a pixel in a row that is selected next by the row selection unit is read out to the first holding unit of the column signal holding circuit, the second operation and the first operation are performed in parallel between different holding blocks in the plurality of holding blocks.