Imaging device and method, and imaging controlling apparatus and method

An imaging method of outputting, via a memory, image outputs read from a solid-state image sensing device, the solid-state image sensing device comprising:

• a light-receiving unit in which there is disposed in the form of a matrix a plurality of light-receiving elements each of which produces and stores a charge corresponding to the amount of light incident thereupon;
• vertical transfer units to transfer a charge read from each of the light-receiving elements in the light-receiving unit;
• and
• a horizontal transfer unit to output the charges transferred via the vertical transfer units,
• the solid-state image sensing device being adapted such that the charge stored in each of the plurality of light-receiving elements is read to the vertical transfer units synchronously with the timing of an external trigger signal, the charges read to the vertical transfer units are vertically transferred at a first transfer rate in response to a high-rate vertical transfer signal for a high-rate transfer period, and the charges in the vertical transfer units are vertically transferred at a second transfer rate slower than the first transfer rate in response to a normal-rate vertical transfer signal for a normal-rate transfer period following the high-rate transfer period, to thereby output the charges supplied to the horizontal transfer unit for the normal-rate transfer period as valid ones from the horizontal transfer unit,
• the method being such that when generating a charge sweep-away signal for an effective video period other than horizontal blanking, the solid-state image sensing device stops the horizontal-transfer operation during generation of the charge sweep-away signal to continuously read image outputs via the memory.

An imaging controller to control the operations of an imaging device, the imaging device comprising:

• a solid-state image sensing device including:
• a light-receiving unit in which there is disposed in the form of a matrix a plurality of light-receiving elements each of which produces and stores a charge corresponding to the amount of light incident thereupon;
• vertical transfer units to transfer a charge read from each of the light-receiving elements in the light-receiving unit;
• and
• a horizontal transfer unit to output the charges transferred via the vertical transfer units,
• the solid-state image sensing device being adapted such that the charge stored in each of the plurality of light-receiving elements is read to the vertical transfer units synchronously with the timing of an external trigger signal, the charges read to the vertical transfer units are vertically transferred at a first transfer rate in response to a high-rate vertical transfer signal for a high-rate transfer period, and the charges in the vertical transfer units are vertically transferred at a second transfer rate slower than the first transfer rate in response to a normal-rate vertical transfer signal for a normal-rate transfer period following the high-rate transfer period, to thereby output the charges supplied to the horizontal transfer unit for the normal-rate transfer period as valid ones from the horizontal transfer unit;
• and
• a memory to provisionally save image outputs read from the solid-state image sensing device,
• the imaging controller including a timing generator which provides such a control that when generating a charge sweep-away signal for an effective video period other than horizontal blanking, the solid-state image sensing device stops the horizontal-transfer operation during generation of the charge sweep-away signal to continuously read image outputs from the solid-state image sensing device via the memory.

An imaging controlling method for use in an imaging device, the imaging device comprising:

• a solid-state image sensing device including:
• a light-receiving unit in which there is disposed in the form of a matrix a plurality of light-receiving elements each of which produces and stores a charge corresponding to the amount of light incident thereupon;
• vertical transfer units to transfer a charge read from each of the light-receiving elements in the light-receiving unit;
• and
• a horizontal transfer unit to output the charges transferred via the vertical transfer units, the solid-state image sensing device being adapted such that the charge stored in each of the plurality of light-receiving elements is read to the vertical transfer units synchronously with the timing of an external trigger signal, the charges read to the vertical transfer units are vertically transferred at a first transfer rate in response to a high-rate vertical transfer signal for a high-rate transfer period, and the charges in the vertical transfer units are vertically transferred at a second transfer rate slower than the first transfer rate in response to a normal-rate vertical transfer signal for a normal-rate transfer period following the high-rate transfer period, to thereby output the charges supplied to the horizontal transfer unit for the normal-rate transfer period as valid ones from the horizontal transfer unit;
• and
• a memory to provisionally save image outputs read from the solid-state image sensing device,
• the method being such that when generating a charge sweep-away signal for an effective video period other than horizontal blanking, the solid-state image sensing device stops the horizontal-transfer operation during generation of the charge sweep-away signal to continuously read image outputs via the memory.