Patent ID: 10104319

Abstract:
In association with an imaging device which generates a portion of an image from a plurality of channels within a first row by sampling each channel during a sampling time corresponding to the channel, circuitry offsets sampling times of at least first and second channels within the first row, thereby reducing noise correlation between the first and second channels in the first row. Pixel sampling times may be defined by start times of the channels within a row, end times or both. Offsetting may be accomplished using a predetermined set of sampling time values or by randomizing sampling time values. Offsetting pixel sampling times of channels within a row relative to each other decorrelates channel sampling because different phases of the noise signal are sampled on each channel, effectively blurring or dithering the channel noise within each row. Random sampling within the channel, such as by varying a channel sampling time between rows, further dithers the noise within each channel. Undesirable correlated noise effects are reduced as a result.