Patent ID: 8194164

Claim:
A method for capturing images in an image sensor that includes a plurality of pixels each including a photosensitive area, a plurality of vertical charge coupled devices (VCCDs) each comprising a plurality of charge storage elements and positioned adjacent to a respective column of pixels, and a transfer mechanism for transferring charge packets from each pixel to a respective charge storage element, the method comprising: beginning light integration for all of the pixels, wherein the photosensitive areas accumulate charge packets; transferring charge packets from a first portion of pixels to respective charge storage elements in the VCCDs at a first time, wherein the charge packets from the first portion of pixels have a first integration period; ending light integration for all of the pixels; reading out the charge packets from the VCCDs; transferring charge packets from the same first portion of pixels to respective charge storage elements in the VCCDs at a second time, wherein the second time is subsequent to the first time and the charge packets from the first portion of pixels have a second integration period that is different from the first integration period; reading out the charge packets from the VCCDs; transferring charge packets from a second portion of pixels to respective charge storage elements in the VCCDs at a third time, wherein the charge packets from the second portion of pixels have a third integration period that is substantially equal to the sum of the first and second integration periods; and reading out the charge packets from the VCCDs.