Electronic apparatus and driving method therefor

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes: a pixel array section in which pixels including photoelectric conversion sections that generate signal charges corresponding to amounts of light, charge accumulation sections that receive the signal charges from the corresponding photoelectric conversion sections and that are shared thereby, and pixel transistors that read out the signal charges generated by the corresponding photoelectric conversion sections and that are shared thereby are two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix; a solid-state image capture device including a scanner that can drive the pixels so that exposure periods of all of the pixels are simultaneously started, that can drive the pixels so that the exposure periods of all of the pixels are simultaneously ended, and that sequentially selects and scans the pixels in readout periods; and a mechanical shutter that determines an end of the exposure periods for still-image shooting.

1 . An electronic apparatus comprising:
 a pixel array section in which pixels are two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix, the pixels including photoelectric conversion sections that generate signal charges corresponding to amounts of light, charge accumulation sections that receive the signal charges from the corresponding photoelectric conversion sections and that are shared by the corresponding photoelectric conversion sections, and pixel transistors that read out the signal charges generated by the corresponding photoelectric conversion sections and that are shared by the corresponding photoelectric conversion sections;   a solid-state image capture device including a scanner that is capable of driving the pixels so that exposure periods of all of the pixels are simultaneously started, that is capable of driving the pixels so that the exposure periods of all of the pixels are simultaneously ended, and that sequentially selects and scans the pixels in readout periods; and   a mechanical shutter that determines an end of the exposure periods for still-image shooting.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion sections that share the corresponding pixel transistors photoelectrically convert light of corresponding same color. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein, in the pixel array section, a column in which the pixels that photoelectrically convert green light are arranged and a column in which the two pixels that photoelectrically convert red light and the two pixels that photoelectrically convert blue light are alternately arranged in a column direction are alternately arranged, and
 the two same-color pixels that are adjacent to each other in the column direction share the corresponding charge accumulation section.   
     
     
         4 . The electronic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein each pixel has a temporary charge holding section, provided between the photoelectric conversion section and the charge accumulation section, for the corresponding photoelectric conversion section, and
 when the exposure period is ended, the signal charge generated by the photoelectrical conversion section is transferred to the temporary charge holding section and signal charge exceeding an amount of saturation charge of the temporary charge holding section is transferred to the charge accumulation section.   
     
     
         5 . The electronic apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the pixels have a Bayer arrangement, and
 the same color pixels that are adjacent in the column direction share the corresponding charge accumulation section.   
     
     
         6 . A driving method for an electronic apparatus including
 a pixel array section in which pixels are two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix, the pixels including photoelectric conversion sections that generate and accumulate signal charges corresponding to amounts of light, pixel transistors that transfer and read out the signal charges accumulated by the corresponding photoelectric conversion sections, and charge accumulation sections that are shared by the corresponding photoelectric conversion sections,   a solid-state image capture device including a scanner that is capable of driving the pixels so that exposure periods of all of the pixels are simultaneously started, that is capable of driving the pixels so that the exposure periods of all of the pixels are simultaneously ended, and that sequentially selects and scans the pixels in readout periods, and   a mechanical shutter that determines an end of the exposure periods for still-image shooting, the driving method comprising:   simultaneously starting the exposure periods of all of the pixels by discharging the signal charges accumulated by the photoelectric conversion sections and simultaneously ending the exposure periods of all of the pixels by transferring the signal charges generated and accumulated by the photoelectric conversion sections in the exposure periods to the corresponding charge accumulation sections, to perform moving-image shooting; and   simultaneously starting the exposure periods of all of the pixels by discharging the signal charges accumulated by the photoelectric conversion sections and ending the exposure periods of all of the pixels by closing the mechanical shutter, to perform still-image shooting.   
     
     
         7 . The driving method according to  claim 6 , wherein the photoelectric conversion sections that share the corresponding charge accumulation section photoelectrically convert light of corresponding same color and, for the moving-image shooting, the signal charges in the same-color pixels that share the corresponding charge accumulation section are simultaneously read out. 
     
     
         8 . The driving method according to  claim 7 , wherein, in the pixel array section, a column in which the pixels that photoelectrically convert green light are arranged and a column in which the two pixels that photoelectrically convert red light and the two pixels that photoelectrically convert blue light are alternately arranged in a column direction are alternately arranged;
 the two same-color pixels that are adjacent to each other in the column direction share the corresponding charge accumulation section; and   for the moving-image shooting, the signal charges in the same-color pixels that share the corresponding charge accumulation section are simultaneously read out.   
     
     
         9 . The driving method according to  claim 7 , wherein each pixel has a temporary charge holding section between the photoelectric conversion section and the charge accumulation section;
 after the exposure period is ended, the signal charge generated by the photoelectrical conversion section is transferred to the corresponding temporary charge holding section and signal charge exceeding an amount of saturation charge of the temporary charge holding section is transferred to the charge accumulation section; and   during the readout of the signal charge in each pixel, the signal charge accumulated by the charge accumulation section is read as a high-luminance signal and the signal charge accumulated in the temporary charge holding section is read as a low-luminance signal.   
     
     
         10 . The driving method according to  claim 7 , wherein the pixels have a Bayer arrangement;
 the same color pixels that are adjacent in the column direction share the corresponding charge accumulation section; and   for the moving-image shooting, the signal charges in the same-color pixels that share the corresponding charge accumulation section are simultaneously read out.