Solid-state imaging device, driving method thereof, and imaging apparatus

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

light receiving portions that accumulate signal charges corresponding to incident light, the light receiving portions comprising first predetermined light receiving portions and second predetermined light receiving portions, wherein the first predetermined light receiving portions include no more than one-third of a total number of light receiving portions of the solid-state imaging device;

charge transfer portions that are formed to be adjacent to the light receiving portions so as to transfer the signal charges read out from the light receiving portions;

readout electrodes to which a readout voltage for reading out the signal charges accumulated in the light receiving portions to the charge transfer portions is applied; and

a controller that is configured to apply a first readout voltage to the readout electrodes corresponding to the first predetermined light receiving portions during an exposure period and while the signal charges are accumulated in the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions, wherein an exposure period associated with each of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions terminate at a same time such that the signal charges of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions having exposure periods different from one another are subjected to a readout sequence at a same time.

2. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

light receiving portions that are arranged in a matrix form so as to accumulate signal charges corresponding to incident light, the light receiving portions comprising first predetermined light receiving portions and second predetermined light receiving portions, wherein the first predetermined light receiving portions include no more than one-third of a total number of light receiving portions of the solid-state imaging device;

vertical transfer portions that are provided for each vertical column of the light receiving portions so as to transfer the signal charges read out from the light receiving portions in a vertical transfer portion;

readout electrodes to which a readout voltage for reading out the signal charges accumulated in the light receiving portions to the vertical transfer portions is applied;

a horizontal transfer portion to which the signal charges are transferred from the vertical transfer portions, and which transfers the transferred signal charges in a horizontal direction; and

a controller that is configured to apply a first readout voltage to the readout electrodes corresponding to the first predetermined light receiving portions during an exposure period and while the signal charges are accumulated in the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermine light receiving portions, wherein an exposure period associated with each of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions terminate at a same time such that the signal charges of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions having exposure periods different from one another are subjected to a readout sequence at a same time.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the controller is configured to apply a second readout voltage to the readout electrodes corresponding to second predetermined light receiving portions which are part of the light receiving portions and are not part of the first predetermined light receiving portions during the exposure period and after the readout voltage is applied to the readout electrodes corresponding to the first predetermined light receiving portions.

4. The solid state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein the first predetermined light receiving portions are located in every (3N−2)th row of the matrix.

5. The solid state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein the light receiving portions further comprise third predetermined light receiving portions, wherein an exposure period associated with each of the first predetermined light receiving portions, the second predetermined light receiving portions, and the third predetermined light receiving portions terminate at the same time, and wherein the signal charges of the first predetermined light receiving portions, the second predetermined light receiving portions, and the third predetermined light receiving portions have exposure periods different from one another and are each subjected to the readout sequence at the same time.

6. A driving method of a solid-state imaging device comprising the steps of:

reading out signal charges accumulated in first predetermined light receiving portions, which are part of light receiving portions, to charge transfer portions, which are formed to be adjacent to the first predetermined light receiving portions, in an exposure period and while signal charges corresponding to incident light are accumulated in the first predetermined light receiving portions and second predetermine light receiving portions, wherein the first predetermined light receiving portions include no more than one-third of a total number of light receiving portions of the solid-state imaging device and an exposure period associated with each of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions terminate at a same time; and

reading out signal charges of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions at a same time, wherein the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions have exposure periods different from one another.

7. The driving method of a solid-state imaging device according to claim 6 , further comprising the step of:

reading out signal charges accumulated in second predetermined light receiving portions which are part of the light receiving portions and are not part of the first predetermined light receiving portions to charge transfer portions which are formed to be adjacent to the second predetermined light receiving portions during the exposure period and after the signal charges accumulated in the first predetermined light receiving portions are read out.

8. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a solid-state imaging device; and

an optical system, wherein

the solid-state imaging device includes

light receiving portions that accumulate signal charges corresponding to incident light, the light receiving portions comprising first predetermined light receiving portions and second predetermined light receiving portions, wherein the first predetermined light receiving portions include no more than one-third of a total number of light receiving portions of the solid-state imaging device,

charge transfer portions that are formed to be adjacent to the light receiving portions so as to transfer the signal charges read out from the light receiving portions,

readout electrodes to which a readout voltage for reading out the signal charges accumulated in the light receiving portions to the charge transfer portions is applied, and

a controller that is configured to apply a first readout voltage to the readout electrodes corresponding to the first predetermined light receiving portions during an exposure period and while the signal charges are accumulated in the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions, wherein an exposure period associated with each of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions terminate at a same time such that the signal charges of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions having exposure periods different from one another are subjected to a readout sequence at a same time, and

the optical system guides the incident light to the light receiving portions.

9. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a solid-state imaging device; and

an optical system, wherein

the solid-state imaging device includes

light receiving portions that are arranged in a matrix form so as to accumulate signal charges corresponding to incident light, the light receiving portions comprising first predetermined light receiving portions and second predetermined light receiving portions, wherein the first predetermined light receiving portions include no more than one-third of a total number of light receiving portions of the solid-state imaging device,

vertical transfer portions that are provided for each vertical column of the light receiving portions so as to transfer the signal charges read out from the light receiving portions in a vertical transfer portion,

readout electrodes to which a readout voltage for reading out the signal charges accumulated in the light receiving portions to the vertical transfer portions is applied,

a horizontal transfer portion to which the signal charges are transferred from the vertical transfer portions, and which transfers the transferred signal charges in a horizontal direction, and

a controller that is configured to apply a first readout voltage to the readout electrodes corresponding to the first predetermined light receiving portions during an exposure period and while the signal charges are accumulated in the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions, wherein an exposure period associated with each of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions terminate at a same time such that the signal charges of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions having exposure periods different from one another are subjected to a readout sequence at a same time, and

the optical system guides the incident light to the light receiving portions.

10. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a solid-state imaging device including

light receiving portions that accumulate signal charges corresponding to incident light, the light receiving portions comprising first predetermined light receiving portions and second predetermined light receiving portions, wherein the first predetermined light receiving portions include no more than one-third of a total number of light receiving portions of the solid-state imaging device,

charge transfer portions that are formed to be adjacent to the light receiving portions so as to transfer the signal charges read out from the light receiving portions, and

readout electrodes to which a readout voltage for reading out the signal charges accumulated in the light receiving portions to the charge transfer portions is applied,

an optical system that condenses the incident light to be received by the light receiving portions;

a mechanical shutter that interrupts the incident light condensed by the optical system; and

a controller that applies a first readout voltage to the readout electrodes corresponding to the first predetermined light receiving portions during an exposure period and while the signal charges are accumulated in the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions, thus setting the exposure period of the first predetermined light receiving portions to a period that continues until the mechanical shutter is closed after the readout voltage is applied to the readout electrodes corresponding to the first predetermined light receiving portions, wherein an exposure period associated with each of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions terminate at a same time such that the signal charges of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions having exposure periods different from one another are subjected to a readout sequence at a same time.

11. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a solid-state imaging device including

light receiving portions that are arranged in a matrix form so as to accumulate signal charges corresponding to incident light, the light receiving portions comprising first predetermined light receiving portions and second predetermined light receiving portions, wherein the first predetermined light receiving portions include no more than one-third of a total number of light receiving portions of the solid-state imaging device,

vertical transfer portions that are provided for each vertical column of the light receiving portions so as to transfer the signal charges read out from the light receiving portions in a vertical transfer portion, and

readout electrodes to which a readout voltage for reading out the signal charges accumulated in the light receiving portions to the vertical transfer portions is applied;

an optical system that condenses the incident light to be received by the light receiving portions;

a mechanical shutter that interrupts the incident light condensed by the optical system; and

a controller that applies a first readout voltage to the readout electrodes corresponding to the first predetermined light receiving portions during an exposure period and while the signal charges are accumulated in the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions, thus setting the exposure period of the first predetermined light receiving portions to a period that continues until the mechanical shutter is closed after the readout voltage is applied to the readout electrodes corresponding to the first predetermined light receiving portions, wherein an exposure period associated with each of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions terminate at a same time such that the signal charges of the first predetermined light receiving portions and the second predetermined light receiving portions having exposure periods different from one another are subjected to a readout sequence at a same time.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 10 or 11 ,

wherein the controller applies a second readout voltage to the readout electrodes corresponding to second predetermined light receiving portions which are part of light receiving portions and are not part of the first predetermined light receiving portions during the exposure period and after the readout voltage is applied to the readout electrodes corresponding to the first predetermined light receiving portions, thus setting the exposure period of the second predetermined light receiving portions to a period that continues until the mechanical shutter is closed after the readout voltage is applied to the readout electrodes corresponding to the second predetermined light receiving portions.