Method of driving solid-state imaging apparatus

Abstract

When a horizontal skipping operation is performed in a solid-state imaging apparatus that includes an A/D converting circuit in each column and that applies an arithmetic operation process to a digitalized signal and an arithmetic operation is performed with signals held by a plurality of register circuits, A/D converters and register circuits in columns in which signals are skipped, or not read out, are not involved in the operations. A more consideration is needed in terms of the use efficiency of circuits. A unit for connecting a register circuit of a certain column and a register circuit of a different column is arranged.

1 . A method of driving a solid-state imaging apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of pixels, arranged in a matrix, each converting an incident light into an analog electric signal and outputting the analog signal;   A/D converters arranged each corresponding to each column of the plurality of pixels, for converting the analog electric signal into a digital signal and for outputting the digital signal from an output terminal of the A/D converter;   register circuits each arranged correspondingly to each column of the pixels; and   a connecting unit for connecting the output terminal of the A/D converter arranged correspondingly to one column of the pixels to an input terminal of the register circuit arranged correspondingly to the one column of the pixels, for connecting the output terminal of the A/D converter to the input terminal of the register circuit arranged correspondingly to the other column of the pixels, or for connecting an output terminal of the register circuit arranged corresponding to the one column of the pixels to the input terminal of the register circuit arranged corresponding to the other column of the pixels, wherein   the register circuit arranged corresponding to the other column of the pixels holds the digital signal received by the input terminal thereof from the output terminal of the A/D converter or from the output terminal of the register circuit arranged corresponding to the one column of the pixels, and wherein   the method comprises steps of:
 executing an operation of outputting from the register circuit the digital signal based on the pixel in a first row of the matrix; and 
 executing an operation of inputting into or converting by the AID converter the analog electric signal from the pixel in a second row of the matrix, independently from the step of executing the operation of outputting. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the solid-state imaging apparatus further comprises   an arithmetic operation apparatus for generating an output produced by subjecting, to an arithmetic operation process, the digital signal outputted from each of the output terminals of the plurality of register circuits.   
     
     
         3 . The method of driving a solid-state imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the digital signal held by each of the plurality of register circuits is based on the pixels in the same column.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the solid-state imaging apparatus further comprises   holding capacitors each arranged correspondingly to each of the columns of the pixels, and   a switch for electrically connecting holding capacitors in adjacent columns of the pixels, and   by turning on the switch to connect electrically the holding capacitors, such that the analog electric signal held by plurality of the holding capacitors electrically connected is converter by the A/D converter into the digital signal.   
     
     
         5 . The method of driving a solid-state imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the digital signal held by each of the plurality of register circuits is the digital signal based on the pixels in the same row.   
     
     
         6 . The method of driving a solid-state imaging apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the arithmetic operation process includes at least one of addition, subtraction and averaging.   
     
     
         7 . The method of driving a solid-state imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a step of:
 a horizontal skipping read out including transferring the digital signal based on the pixel in a column subjected to the reading out to the register circuit arranged correspondingly to a column not subjected to the reading.