Patent ID: 6911640

Claim:
A CMOS image sensor comprising: a reset transistor having a drain, a gate and a source; a source follower transistor having a drain, a gate and a source; a photodiode having a cathode connected to said source of said reset transistor and said gate of said source follower transistor, said photodiode having an anode connected to ground; reset drain voltage circuitry connected to said drain of said reset transistor and said drain of said source follower transistor; reset gate voltage circuitry connected to said gate of said reset transistor, wherein during a hard reset operation involving said photodiode, said reset drain voltage circuitry supplies a first drain voltage to said drain of said reset transistor in accordance with a determined level of light for exposure, and said reset gate voltage circuitry supplies a first gate voltage to said gate of said reset transistor such that said first gate voltage is greater than a sum of said first drain voltage and a threshold voltage of said reset transistor.