Digital photographing apparatus and method of operating image pickup device

A method of operating an image pickup device including photoelectric converters arranged in a matrix and which generate charges from incident light, vertical transfer paths arranged on one side of each of columns of the photoelectric converters for reading charges generated in the photoelectric converters and transferring the read charges in a vertical direction, and a horizontal transfer path electrically connected to one end of each of the vertical transfer paths for transferring the charges transferred from the vertical transfer paths in a horizontal direction, the method comprising:

• for each frame in a mode of acquiring moving image information from charges generated in photoelectric converters belonging to a subset of rows of the photoelectric converters of the image pickup device,
• during a first portion of each frame when the charges generated in the photoelectric converters belonging to the subset of rows of the photoelectric converters and read by the vertical transfer paths are transferred to the horizontal transfer path, horizontal transfer signals which instruct the charges to be transferred in the horizontal direction are applied to the horizontal transfer path, and during a second portion of each frame when charges that are not read by the vertical transfer paths are transferred to the horizontal transfer path, the horizontal transfer signals are not applied to the horizontal transfer path, wherein the first and second portions are non-overlapping and collectively represent substantially all of the frame.

A digital photographing apparatus comprising:

• a lens through which light passes;
• an image pickup device including photoelectric converters arranged in a matrix and which generate charges from light passing through the lens, vertical transfer paths arranged on one side of each of columns of the photoelectric converters for reading charges generated in the photoelectric converters and transferring the read charges in a vertical direction, a horizontal transfer path electrically connected to one end of each of the vertical transfer paths for transferring the charges transferred from the vertical transfer paths in a horizontal direction, and a signal output unit converting the charges transferred from the horizontal transfer path into an electric signal;
• a signal processor processing the electric signal output from the signal output unit of the image pickup device;
• and
• an image pickup device driver controlling the operation of the image pickup device,
• wherein, for each frame in a mode of acquiring moving image information from the charges generated in the photoelectric converters belonging to a subset of rows of the photoelectric converters of the image pickup device, the image pickup device driver controls the operation of the image pickup device by applying, during a first portion of the frame, horizontal transfer signals, which instruct the charges generated in photoelectric converters belonging to the subset of rows of the photoelectric converters and read by the vertical transfer paths to be transferred in the horizontal direction, to the horizontal transfer path when the charges are transferred to the horizontal transfer path;
• and during a second portion of the frame when the horizontal transfer signals are not applied to the horizontal transfer path while charges are transferred to the horizontal transfer path after the charges generated in the photoelectric converters belonging to the subset of rows of the photoelectric converters and read by the vertical transfer paths are transferred in the horizontal direction through the horizontal transfer path, wherein the first and second portions are non-overlapping and collectively represent substantially the duration of the frame.

A digital photographing apparatus comprising:

• a lens through which light passes;
• an image pickup device including photoelectric converters arranged in a matrix and which generate charges from incident light input through the lens into charges, vertical transfer paths arranged on one side of each of columns of the photoelectric converters for reading charges generated in the photoelectric converters and transferring the read charges in a vertical direction, a horizontal transfer path electrically connected to one end of each of the vertical transfer paths for transferring the charges transferred from the vertical transfer paths in a horizontal direction, and a signal output unit converting the charges transferred from the horizontal transfer path into an electric signal;
• a signal processor processing the electric signal output from the signal output unit of the image pickup device;
• and
• an image pickup device driver controlling operation of the image pickup device,
• wherein, for each frame in a mode of acquiring moving image information from charges generated in photoelectric converters belonging to a subset of rows of the photoelectric converters of the image pickup device, during a first portion of the frame when the charges generated in the photoelectric converters belonging to the subset of rows of the photoelectric converters and read by the vertical transfer paths are transferred to the horizontal transfer path, the image pickup device driver applies horizontal transfer signals, which instruct the charges to be transferred in the horizontal direction, to the horizontal transfer path, and during a second portion of the frame when charges that are not read by the vertical transfer paths are transferred to the horizontal transfer path, the image pickup device drive does not apply the horizontal transfer signals to the horizontal transfer path during the second portion, wherein the first and second portions are non-overlapping and collectively represent substantially a length of the frame.