US 6,982,751 B1
Solid-state imaging apparatus, its driving method, and camera system
Hiroaki Tanaka, Kanagawa (Japan)
Assigned to Sony Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Apr. 13, 2000, as Appl. No. 9/549,194.
Claims priority of application No. P11-109477 (JP), filed on Apr. 16, 1999.
Int. Cl. H04N 5/225 (2006.01); H04N 5/335 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 348—220.1 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
4. A method of driving a solid-state imaging apparatus comprising a solid-state imaging device having a plurality of sensor blocks arranged in a matrix for performing photoelectric conversion, a vertical transfer block for vertically transferring signal charges read from said plurality of sensor blocks, and a horizontal transfer block for horizontally transferring the signal charges supplied from said vertical transfer block, said method comprising the steps of:
setting selectively as an operation mode of said solid-state imaging device a first operation mode for vertically independently transferring the signal charges read from said plurality of sensor blocks and a second operation mode for adding n (n≧2) pixels of signal charges in said vertical transfer block for vertical transfer and adding m (m≧2) lines of signal charges in said horizontal transfer block for horizontal transfer; and
selectively setting, in said second operation mode, the saturation signal charge quantity of said plurality of sensor blocks to about 1/(n×m) of the saturation signal charge quantity of said plurality of sensor blocks in said first operation mode.