Solid state imaging device with readout control and output control

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a two-dimensional solid state imaging device which can realize speeding up of signal output. The two-dimensional solid state imaging device includes: a pixel region; a first capacitance element and a second capacitance element each of which is arranged for a different column of pixels and accumulates pixel signals of the corresponding column of pixels; a first horizontal signal line and a second horizontal signal line each of which transmits the pixel signals accumulated in a corresponding capacitance element; a common signal line connected to the horizontal signal lines; a scan timing generation unit and a switch unit which control readout of the pixel signals from the capacitance element to the horizontal signal line; and an external output timing unit and a switch unit which select the horizontal signal line and control output of the pixel signals from the selected horizontal signal line to the common signal line. Here, the scan timing generation unit and the switch unit, and the external output timing unit and the switch unit control the readout and the output of the pixel signals, respectively, so that a time period required for the readout of the pixel signals from the capacitance element to the signal line is longer than a time period required for the output of the pixel signals from the signal line to the common signal line.