The present invention provides an improved shared amplifier circuitry and method of operation which minimizes offset and column to column fixed pattern noise during a read out operation. The circuit improves the consistency of the pixel to pixel output of the pixel array and increases the dynamic range of the pixel output and saves chip area. This is accomplished by simultaneously sampling and storing charge accumulated signals from a first and a second desired pixel from a respective first and second column. The circuit amplifies the first charge signal and then samples and amplifies the reset signal of the first desired pixel and subsequently outputs the amplified first charge signal and the reset signal. Then the circuit amplifies the second charge signal and the reset signal of the first desired pixel and subsequently outputs the amplified second charge signal and the reset signal.
A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, a plurality of block lines to which signals are supplied from the pixels, transfer switches used to supply the signals from the block lines to a common signal line, and a driving circuit configured to drive the pixels, the block lines, and the transfer switches. The block lines have resetting units used to reset potentials of the block lines. With this configuration, a signal reading operation is performed at high speed in the photoelectric conversion apparatus.
