Driving method for an image pickup apparatus, image pickup apparatus, and image pickup system

摘要

The present invention provides a driving method for an image pickup apparatus that appropriately performs both readout of a signal of a reference pixel and mixing of mutual signals output by a plurality of effective pixels, and the present invention also provides an image pickup apparatus and an image pickup system.

主权项

1. A driving method for an image pickup apparatus that includes a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, and a plurality of signal lines each being arranged corresponding to one of the columns of the plurality of pixels,
the plurality of pixels including
a plurality of effective pixels arranged in the rows and the columns, anda plurality of reference pixels arranged in at least one row and the columns corresponding to the columns in which the plurality of effective pixels are arranged and outputting only a signal of a noise level, each of the plurality of effective pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit to perform a photoelectric conversion of incident light and an amplification transistor having an input node for inputting charges generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and each of the plurality of reference pixels including an amplification transistor having an input node, the driving method comprising: a first operation of overlapping periods, without electrically connecting the input node of the amplification transistor in each of a first number of effective pixels among the plurality of effective pixels, to each other, each period being a period during which the amplification transistor in each of the first number of effective pixels outputs a signal to common one of the signal lines, and a second operation of:
individually outputting the signal of the noise level to the single signal line by the amplification transistor in each of the plurality of reference pixels, oroverlapping periods, without electrically connecting the input node of the amplification transistor in each of a second number of reference pixels among the plurality of reference pixels, to each other, each period being a period during which the amplification transistor in each of the second number of reference pixels outputs a signal common one of the signal lines, the second number being fewer than the first number.