Solid-state imaging device having high-speed shutter function and method of realizing high-speed function in solid-state imaging device

A solid-state imaging device having a high-speed shutter function, comprising:

• a photosensitive section for storing charges corresponding to an amount of received light and a period of time during which the light is received;
• a high-speed transfer section to which the charges stored in said photosensitive section are simultaneously transferred in response to field shift pulses which include a discharge field shift pulse and first and second signal read field shift pulses;
• a first field memory to which is transferred, in units of lines and at a high speed, the charges transferred to said high-speed transfer section, said first field memory storing the transferred charges;
• a second field memory to which the charges stored in said first field memory are transferred in units of lines and at a high speed, said second field memory storing the transferred charges;
• a line transfer section to which the charges stored in said second field memory are transferred in units of lines;
• and
• driver means for generating a drive pulse for causing said high-speed transfer section to transfer to said field memory, in units of lines, the charges transferred to said high-speed transfer section, and for successively generating the discharge field shift pulse and the first and second signal read field shift pulses at equal time intervals, such that a light storage time in said photosensitive section, between generation of the discharge field shift pulse and generation of the first signal read field shift pulse, coincides with a light storage time, also in said photosensitive section, between generation of the first signal read field shift pulse and generation of the second signal read field shift pulse, the signal which corresponds to a one-field in said high-speed transfer section being transferred to each of said first and second field memories, in accordance with the drive pulse between said first and second signal read field shift pulses, and the drive pulse supplied immediately after the second signal read field shift pulse.

A method of realizing a high-speed shutter function in a solid-state imaging device, comprising:

• a first step of supplying a discharge field shift pulse for discharging charges stored in accordance with an amount of received light and a period of time during which the light is received;
• a second step of supplying a first signal read field shift pulse;
• a third step of storing charges, which are stored after the first step, in a first storage means in response to the first signal read field shift pulse;
• a fourth step of supplying a second signal read field shift pulse, the second signal read field shift pulse being supplied at a timing such that a time interval between supply of the discharge field shift pulse and supply of the first signal real field shift pulse coincides with a time interval between supply of the first signal read field shift pulse and supply of the second signal read field shift pulse;
• a fifth step of storing charges, which are stored after the third step, in a second storage means, in response to the second signal read field shift pulse;
• a sixth step of transferring the charges, which are stored in said first storage means in the third step, in units of lines;
• a seventh step of storing, in said first storage means, upon completion of the sixth step, the charges which were stored in said second storage means in the fifth step;
• and
• an eighth step of transferring, in units of lines, the charge which were stored in said first storage means in the seventh step, the first to eighth steps being performed in a one-frame period.