Patent ID: 8748954

Claim:
An image sensor operating in time-delay and integration mode, the sensor comprising N adjacent rows of P pixels with a view to using several rows of pixels in succession to observe one and same image row by summing electric charges generated by an image point in the pixels of same rank of the various rows, adjacent pixels of the same rank comprising, alternately, two photodiodes and two transfer gates adjacent to the photodiodes, the photodiodes comprising a common reference region of a first conductivity type, in which individual regions of opposite conductivity type are formed, and covered by individual surface regions of the first conductivity type, wherein the surface regions of two photodiodes located on either side of a transfer gate are electrically isolated from each other and electrically isolated from the common reference region, wherein the sensor comprises a sequencing circuit bringing the regions to potentials that are different from each other and are cyclically variable, wherein the sequencing circuit is configured for applying potentials cyclically to the gates and to the photodiodes so as to: create a potential well beneath a first photodiode so as to accumulate charges therein; at the same time, raise the bottom of the potential well of a second photodiode adjacent to the first so that the charges generated by the second photodiode flow into the first; next, empty all the charges from the first photodiode into the second; and then, restart a cycle in which the second photodiode, having already received charges, acts as a first photodiode with respect to another photodiode belonging to another row of pixels.