Patent ID: 6366320
Filing Date: 2002-04-02
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method comprising:sampling outputs of sensor elements in a sensor array one row at a time by performing a)-d) while sampling each row as follows a) activating a current pair of sense amplifier cells coupled to the sensor array, the current pair having a near cell and a far cell, by causing the current pair to change from a low power consumption state to a high power consumption state; and then b) driving at least one signal, which represents an output of a first sensor element in a row of the sensor array, from the near cell of the current pair; and then c) activating a subsequent pair of sense amplifier cells coupled to the array, a near cell of the subsequent pair being the far cell of the current pair and a far cell of the subsequent pair being separate from the current pair of cells, by causing the far cell of the subsequent pair to change from a low power consumption state to a high power consumption state; and then d) driving at least one signal, which represents an output of a second sensor element in said row from the near cell for the subsequent pair.