초록 ▼

In order to reduce a chip area, an image pickup apparatus includes unit cells arranged in a plurality of lines, each having a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions disposed at least in a horizontal direction and a common circuit to which signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversio

In order to reduce a chip area, an image pickup apparatus includes unit cells arranged in a plurality of lines, each having a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions disposed at least in a horizontal direction and a common circuit to which signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions are input and a subtracting circuit shared by respective photoelectric conversion portions of at least one of the unit cells.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An image pickup apparatus including a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions which are arranged two-dimensionally in row and column directions so as to arrange a plurality of unit cells, each of which includes at least two photoelectric conversion portions arranged in the row direction an

1. An image pickup apparatus including a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions which are arranged two-dimensionally in row and column directions so as to arrange a plurality of unit cells, each of which includes at least two photoelectric conversion portions arranged in the row direction and a common circuit to which signals from the at least two photoelectric conversion portions are input, said image pickup apparatus comprising: a plurality of noise removal circuits, each of which is provided in common to at least two columns of the photoelectric conversion portions to remove a noise component included in an image signal from the unit cell; a plurality of signal holding means which are arranged so that the same number of the signal holding means as that of the columns of the photoelectric conversion portions, connected in common to the noise removal circuit, are provided to each noise removal circuit to hold the image signals output from the noise removal circuit; a common output line to which signals from said plurality of signal holding means are read out sequentially; and a scanning circuit which is arranged to cause said plurality of signal holding means to output the signals therefrom to said common output line. 2. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a plurality of photoelectric conversion pixels arranged two-dimensionally in row and column directions; a plurality of noise removal circuits, each of which is provided in common to at least two columns of the photoelectric conversion pixels to remove noise components included in image signals from the photoelectric conversion pixels; a plurality of signal holding means which are arranged so that the same number of the signal holding means as that of the columns of the photoelectric conversion pixels connected in common to the noise removal circuit, are provided to each noise removal circuit to hold the image signals output from the noise removal circuit; a common output line to which signals from said plurality of signal holding means are read out sequentially; and a scanning circuit which is arranged to cause said plurality of signal holding means to output the signals therefrom to said common output line. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the common circuit includes an amplifier to which the signals from the at least two photoelectric conversion portions are input, and a reset switch which resets an input portion of the amplifier.4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a lens which focuses light onto the photoelectric conversion portion; an analog-digital conversion circuit which converts the signal output from said common output line into a digital signal; and a signal processing circuit which effects a color processing of the signal output from said analog-digital conversion circuit. 5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the photoelectric conversion pixel includes a photoelectric conversion portion, an amplifier to which the signal from said photoelectric conversion portion is input, and a reset switch which resets an input portion of the amplifier.6. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a lens which focuses light onto the photoelectric conversion pixel; an analog-digital conversion circuit which converts the signal output from said common output line into a digital signal; and a signal processing circuit which effects a color processing of the signal output from said analog-digital conversion circuit.