Patent ID: 7710484

Claim:
An imaging method with use of a CCD image sensor which employs an interlace scan method in which a first field readout and a second field readout are performed, said CCD image sensor comprising plural photoelectric conversion elements arranged in two-dimensions, plural vertical CCDs arranged for every vertical line of said photoelectric conversion elements to transfer electric charge in the vertical direction and a horizontal CCD to transfer said electric charge of one horizontal line received from said plural vertical CCDs in the horizontal direction, said imaging method comprising: dividing said plural photoelectric conversion elements into odd horizontal lines and even horizontal lines; said first field readout, in which first signal charge read out from said photoelectric conversion elements of said odd horizontal lines to said vertical CCDs and first noise charge generated in said vertical CCDs on said even horizontal lines are transferred by said vertical CCDs and then transferred by said horizontal CCD to be output as imaging signals from said CCD image sensor; said second field readout, in which second signal charge read out from said photoelectric conversion elements of said even horizontal lines to said vertical CCDs and second noise charge generated in said vertical CCDs on said odd horizontal lines are transferred by said vertical CCDs and then transferred by said horizontal CCD to be output as imaging signals from said CCD image sensor; and subtracting said image signal based on said second noise charge from said image signal based on said first signal charge, and subtracting said image signal based on said first noise charge from said image signal based on said second signal charge wherein said vertical CCD on said odd horizontal line includes first to fourth transfer electrodes, and said vertical CCD on said even horizontal line includes fifth to eighth transfer electrodes wherein said first field readout step including processes of: applying voltage Vh to said first to third and fifth to seventh transfer electrodes to form potential wells to said signal chargeaid potential wells being formed in said vertical CCDs under said first to third and fifth to seventh transfer electrodes; applying voltage Vhh (Vhh>Vh) to said first and third transfer electrodes when said potential wells are formed, to accumulate said signal charge in said potential wells under said first to third transfer electrodes, and said noise charge in said potential wells under said fifth to seventh transfer electrodes; and transferring said signal charge and noise charge concurrently in the vertical direction by said vertical CCDs and transferring said signal charge and noise charge concurrently in the horizontal direction by said horizontal CCD.