Patent ID: 7521663

Claim:
A method for suppression of background illumination in modulated light using an optoelectronic detector, the detector having a photosensitive substrate, a plurality of readout nodes and a plurality of means for steering free electrons to one of the readout nodes, the method comprising the steps of: a. determining a switching sequence, the switching sequence being synchronized with the modulation frequency of the light, the switching sequence comprising periods in which light is present along with background illumination and a period in which only background illumination is present; b. identifying a readout node corresponding to the period in which only background illumination is present; c. activating a light source, the activation leading to impingement of modulated light on the photosensitive substrate, the impingement resulting in generation of free electron-hole pairs in the photosensitive substrate; d. steering free electrons to one of the readout nodes according to the switching sequence, the free electrons being steered to the identified readout node during the period in which only background illumination is present; and e. draining free electrons collected at the identified readout node.