CCD Area image sensor operable in both of line-sequential and interlace scannings and a method for operating the same

Claim 1

A CCD area image sensor formed on a single semiconductor chip and comprising: a plurality of imaging elements arranged in rows and columns to form a matrix, said imaging elements accumulating charges in response to light incident thereon; a plurality of vertical shift registers each formed along and in parallel with each of said columns of said imaging elements; a first horizontal shift register formed outside said matrix so as to receive charges from said vertical shift registers; a plurality of lines of memories formed outside said matrix, each of said lines being formed in a direction of said columns so as to store charges transferred from said vertical shift registers and to shift said stored charges to one end thereof; a second horizontal shift register formed to receive the shifted charges from said one end of each of said lines of memories; a first charge detector formed at an end portion of said first horizontal shift register to produce a first electrical signal in response to charges shifted through said first horizontal shift register; and a second charge detector formed at an end portion of said second horizontal shift register to produce a second electrical signal in response to charges shifted through said second horizontal shift register.

Claim 6

A method for operating a CCD area image sensor comprising: a plurality of imaging elements arranged in rows and columns to form a matrix, said imaging elements accumulating charges in response to light incident thereon; a plurality of vertical shift registers formed respectively in parallel with said columns of said imaging elements; a first horizontal shift register formed outside said matrix; a second horizontal shift register formed to receive charges from said lines of memories; a plurality of lines of memories formed outside said matrix to receive charges from said vertical shift registers; a first charge-voltage converter converting charges shifted through said first horizontal shift register into a first electrical signal; a second charge-voltage converter converting charges shifted through said second horizontal shift register into a second electrical signal; and a switch selectively outputting said first and second electrical signals, said method comprising steps of; transferring first charges accumulated in said imaging elements of every other of said rows to said vertical shift registers; shifting said first charges through said vertical shift registers to store them in said lines of memories; transferring second charges accumulated in said imaging elements of the remaining rows to said vertical shift registers; transferring a part of said first charges and a part of said second charges to said second and first horizontal shift registers, respectively; and shifting said transferred charges through one of said first and second horizontal shift registers to output as an electrical signal through one of said first and second charge-voltage converters and said switch, followed by shifting said transferred charges through the other of said first and second horizontal shift registers to output as another electrical signal through the other of said first and second charge-voltage converters and said switch.

Claim 7

A method for operating a CCD area image sensor comprising: a plurality of imaging elements arranged in rows and columns to form a matrix, said imaging elements accumulating charges in response to light incident thereon; a plurality of vertical shift registers formed respectively in parallel with said columns of said imaging elements; a first horizontal shift register formed outside said matrix; a second horizontal shift register formed to receive charges from said lines of memories; a plurality of lines of memories formed outside said matrix to receive charges from said vertical shift registers; a first charge-voltage converter converting charges shifted through said first horizontal shift register into a first electrical signal; a second charge-voltage converter converting charges shifted through said second horizontal shift register into a second electrical signal; and a switch selectively outputting said first and second electrical signals, said method comprising steps of; transferring first charges accumulated in said imaging elements of every other of said rows to said vertical shift registers; shifting said first charges through said vertical shift registers to store them in said lines of memories; transferring second charges accumulated in said imaging elements of the remaining rows to said vertical shift registers; transferring a part of said first charges and a part of said second charges to said second and first horizontal shift registers, respectively; and shifting said transferred charges through one of said first and second horizontal shift registers to output as an electrical signal through one of said first and second charge-voltage converters and said switch, followed by shifting said transferred charges through the other of said first and second horizontal shift registers to output as another electrical signal through the other of said first and second charge-voltage converters and said switch.