Imaging system, image sensor, and method of controlling imaging system

An image sensor comprising a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels for which termination of a charge accumulation operation is determined by a mechanical shutter are arrayed in a matrix, and a vertical scanning unit which scans the pixel array, wherein

• the vertical scanning unit executes in parallel at least a part of reset operations of pixels on at least two adjacent rows of the pixel array,
• the charge accumulation operation of pixels starts upon completion of the reset operation, and
• the vertical scanning unit sequentially completes the reset operations of the pixels on at least two adjacent rows of the pixel array, and
• the vertical scanning unit executes a read scanning for reading out signals from pixels on a row of the pixel array after a completion of the light shielding of the row such that the scanning speed of the read scanning on the row is slower than the passage speed of a leading edge of the mechanical shutter on the row.

A method of controlling an imaging system having an image sensor and a mechanical shutter which controls termination of exposure of the image sensor, the method comprising performing, for each row of a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arrayed in a matrix in the image sensor,

• a start step of starting a reset operation of pixels,
• a completion step of completing the reset operation of pixels, and
• a light-shielding step of shielding pixels from light by the mechanical shutter, and
• a read step of reading out signals from pixels,
• wherein the start step of pixels on a second row adjacent to a first row of the pixel array is performed before performing the completion step of pixels on the first row, the completion step of pixels on the first row is performed after performing the start step of the pixels on the first row of the pixel array, a charge accumulation operation of the pixels on the first row starts after performing the completion step of the pixels on the first row, and the charge accumulation operation of the pixels on the first row terminates after performing the light-shielding step of the pixels on the first row,
• the completion step is performed sequentially for the pixels on the first row and the pixels on the second row, and
• the read step of the pixels on the first row is performed after performing the light-shielding step of the pixels on the first row such that the performing time of the read step of the pixels on the first row is longer than the performing time of the light-shielding step of the pixels on the first row.