Patent ID: 7463299

Claim:
An imaging device comprising: a plurality of photodiodes for converting received light into electric charges and being arranged in a 2-dimensional matrix including a first row, a second row, a third row and a fourth row of photodiodes, wherein the first row of photodiodes is adjacent to the second row of photodiodes, and wherein the third row of photodiodes is adjacent to the fourth row of photodiodes; a plurality of vertical charge coupled devices (CCDs) for receiving charges from a first pair of adjacent rows of photodiodes, and for vertically transmitting the charges received from the first pair of adjacent rows of photodiodes at the same time during a first field phase, wherein the plurality of vertical charge coupled devices (CCDs) are adapted to vertically transmit charges received from second pair of adjacent rows of photodiodes at the same time during a second field phase; and a single horizontal CCD for receiving the vertically transmitted charges from the first pair of rows at the same time and the second pair of rows at the same time, and for outputting the received vertically transmitted charges.