Solid-state image pickup apparatus and its control method including a thinning readout mode and an adding movie mode

Abstract

A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes photoelectric converter elements arranged in an array on a two-dimensional plane, vertical charge transfer paths respectively fabricated adjacent the photoelectric converter elements, vertical charge transfer electrodes for transferring charge one charge transfer stage by each transfer operation, a horizontal charge transfer path connected to end sections respectively of the vertical charge transfer paths for receiving transferred therefrom and for transferring the charge in a horizontal direction, horizontal charge transfer electrodes on the horizontal charge transfer path in a horizontal direction, an output amplifier connected to an end of the horizontal charge transfer path for amplifying charge from the horizontal charge transfer path, and a control circuit to drive the apparatus in an adding movie mode in which the control circuit reads charge, read from the photoelectric converter elements to the vertical transfer path, feeds the charge to all charge transfer stages, transfers the charge of at least two photoelectric converter elements from the vertical charge transfer path to the horizontal charge transfer path, and then stops a transfer of charge from said vertical charge transfer path to said horizontal charge transfer path and outputs by the horizontal charge transfer path the charge to an external device. This improves display sensitivity of the solid-state image pickup apparatus in the adding movie mode.