US Patent 7969485 Solid-state imaging device and camera

A solid-state imaging device comprises a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, and a readout unit operable to read out pixel signals of the pixels included in the pixel array row by row. The readout unit (i) reads out pixel signals of a row of pixels in column order of the pixel array during a horizontal readout period, except during a readout-standby period that is within the horizontal readout period, and (ii) suspends reading out the pixel signals of the row of pixels in the column order during the readout-standby period.