Patent ID: 6606121
Filing Date: 2003-08-12
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method of operating integrating image sensors, comprising the steps of:a) arranging a plurality of light converting pixels, each of the pixels comprising: i) a light-sensitive element (01) for photoelectric conversion of a light intensity falling thereupon in a photoelectric current which depends on the light intensity; ii) an integrating device (04, 05) for integrating the photoelectric current to a pixel signal (06) over a certain integration period within an integration phase; iii) a duration controlling device (07-10) for determining a starting and an ending time of the integration period; iv) a readout device (15) for relaying the pixel signal (06) during a readout phase which corresponds to an amount of the integrated photoelectric current; b) processing previously known signals relayed by the pixels and supplying output signals; c) supplying a control signal to the integrating device, duration controlling device and readout device, whereby the output signal is a signal reflecting a light image picked up by the image sensor, wherein, the duration controlling device of the pixel is influenced by the integrating device of the pixel in such a way that the duration controlling device selects the ending time of the integration period as a function of the light intensity striking the pixel, wherein, higher light intensity leads to a shorter integration period and lower light intensity leads to a longer integration period and, wherein, each of the plurality of pixels has stored integration duration information (14) after the end of the integration phase which provides information on how long the integration period of the pixel was, the integration duration information (14) being read out with the pixel signal (06).