IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND DRIVING METHOD OF IMAGE SENSOR

摘要

An image capturing apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises an image sensor comprising pixels and a controller. The pixels include a photoelectric converter, a holding unit, an output unit and a first and second transfer unit. The controller causes the sensor to repeatedly perform a holding operation that the first transfer unit transfer charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the holding unit, and a transfer operation that the second transfer unit transfer the charge from the holding unit to the output unit. The controller causes the sensor to perform, as the holding operation, holding operations including a first holding operation for performing the first transfer unit transfer charge generated in a first exposure time and a second holding operation for performing the first transfer unit transfer charge generated in a second exposure time longer than the first exposure time.

主权项

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising an image sensor and a control unit configured to control the image sensor,
the image sensor including a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit, a charge holding unit, an output unit, a first transfer unit configured to transfer charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge holding unit, and a second transfer unit configured to transfer charge held in the charge holding unit to the output unit, wherein the control unit causes the image sensor to repeatedly perform a holding operation and a transfer operation, the holding operation being for making the first transfer unit transfer charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge holding unit to hold the charge, and the transfer operation being for making the second transfer unit transfer the charge held in the charge holding unit to the output unit, and the control unit causes the image sensor to perform, as the holding operation, one or more of a plurality of holding operations including a first holding operation and a second holding operation, the first holding operation being for performing, a plurality of times in a period of one frame, a first sampling operation of making the first transfer unit transfer charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit in a first exposure time to the charge holding unit to hold the charge, and the second holding operation being for performing, not less than once in the period of one frame, a second sampling operation of making the first transfer unit transfer charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit in a second exposure time longer than the first exposure time to the charge holding unit to hold the charge.