Imaging apparatus with element that selectively transfers charge accumulated in first semiconductor region of accumulating element to floating diffusion region and method

A driving method of a solid-state imaging apparatus that includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, wherein each of the pixels includes:

• a photoelectric conversion element for converting an incident light into an electric charge;
• an accumulating element having a semiconductor region for accumulating the electric charge converted by the photoelectric conversion element;
• a first transfer element for transferring the electric charge converted by the photoelectric conversion element to the semiconductor region;
• a second transfer element for transferring the electric charge accumulated in the semiconductor region to a floating diffusion region;
• and
• an amplifying element for amplifying a signal corresponding to the electric charge in the floating diffusion region, the method comprising:
• a first transferring step, for transferring the electric charge converted by the photoelectric conversion element to the accumulating element, by performing a plural times of operations to switch the first transfer element from an OFF state to an ON state without resetting the floating diffusion region, under a condition of an OFF state of the second transfer element;
• an accumulating step for collectively accumulating, by the accumulating element, the electric charge transferred by first transferring step;
• and
• a second transferring step for transferring the electric charge accumulated in the accumulating step to the floating diffusion region row by row successively by the second transfer element.