(19)
(11) EP 1 465 410 A8

(12) CORRECTED EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(48) Corrigendum issued on:
18.05.2005 Bulletin 2005/20

(43) Date of publication:
06.10.2004 Bulletin 2004/41

(21) Application number: 04007130.0

(22) Date of filing: 24.03.2004
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: H04N 5/217
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK

(30) Priority: 27.03.2003 JP 2003088475

(71) Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Ohta-ku, Tokyo (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Hiyama, Hiroki, c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Tokyo (JP)
  • Sakurai, Katsuhito, c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Tokyo (JP)
  • Okita, Akira, c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Tokyo (JP)
  • Takada, Hideaki, c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Tokyo (JP)

(74) Representative: Leson, Thomas Johannes Alois, Dipl.-Ing. 
Patentanwälte Tiedtke-Bühling-Kinne & Partner, Bavariaring 4
80336 München
80336 München (DE)

   


(54) Image pickup apparatus


(57) An image pickup apparatus comprising: a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converting element; a plurality of capacitor which receive signals from the plurality of pixels at first terminals; a plurality of clamping switches for setting a second terminal of each of the plurality of capacitor into a predetermined electric potential; a plurality of first storing units for storing signals from the second terminals of the plurality of capacitor; a plurality of second storing units for storing the signals from the second terminals of the plurality of capacitor; a first common output line to which the signals from the plurality of first storing units are sequentially output; a second common output line to which the signals from the plurality of second storing units are sequentially output; and a difference circuit for operating a difference between the signal from the first common output line and the signal from the second common output line.