Patent ID: 7636109

Claim:
A digital camera comprising: an image sensor having an array of pixels for performing photoelectric conversion on received light; a first scanning circuit that selects a first portion of the array of pixels for output as a first signal used for a purpose other than flicker detection; a second scanning circuit that selects a second portion of the array of pixels for output as a second signal used alternately for either flicker detection or for still image production, wherein the first and second portion of pixels are interleaved throughout the array of pixels; a flicker detection circuit that, in a first mode, receives the second signal from the second scanning circuit for detecting flicker of a light source illuminating an object based on the second signal and that outputs a flicker signal; and an image processor that, in the first mode, receives the flicker signal and the first signal and adjusts the first signal based on the flicker signal for outputting a video signal; wherein, in a second mode, the image processor receives the first signal from the first scanning circuit and the second signal from the second scanning circuit and combines the first and second signals for producing a still image from the combined first and second signals.