1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to transferring method of electric charge from an image sensing device and the image sensing device preferable for obtaining image data of different picture size in accordance with still picture image mode and moving picture image mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
A solid-state image sensing device for an image sensing device is used for a video camera. FIG. 1 is a partial plan view of an image sensing device. In FIG. 1, the image sensing device is composed of a plurality of photoelectric converters 1 for converting optical light into an electric charge, a vertical charge coupled device (hereinafter referred to as “VCCD”) 2 for transferring an electric charge from the photoelectric converter 1 towards the arrow direction vertically, and a horizontal charge coupled device (hereinafter referred to as “HCCD”) 3 for transferring the electric charge from the VCCD 2 towards the arrow direction horizontally.
The photoelectric converter 1 is disposed in horizontal and vertical direction of a predetermined pixel area in an array. A timing generator not shown provides the photoelectric converter 1 with a readout pulse to transfer the electric charges to adjacent VCCD 2. The VCCD 2 has a plurality of stages in vertical direction corresponding to vertical arrangement of the photoelectric converter 1. The VCCD 2 transfers electric charge to the next stages one by one in the timing of a vertical pulse generated from the timing generator not shown.
The HCCD 3 has a plurality of stages in horizontal direction corresponding to horizontal arrangement of the photoelectric converter 1. An electric charge transferred from the VCCD 2 is shifted to the horizontal direction by the timing of a horizontal pulse generated from the timing generator.
The electric charge generated in the photoelectric converter 1 is transferred to the VCCD 2 in predetermined timing, and is shifted to the HCCD 3. The electric charge transferred to the HCCD 3 is shifted to the horizontal direction to output all electric charges generated in the photoelectric converter 1, so that a single picture of an image signal is obtained.