Patent ID: 7692706

Claim:
An image sensor comprising: a plurality of pixels overlaid with a color filter pattern of at least two colors having the same color on every other pixel in one direction; three or more charge-coupled devices oriented parallel to the every other pixel color filter repeat pattern; a charge sensing amplifier at the output of at least two of the charge couple devices; each charge-coupled device having an alternating first gate and second gate except every 2n gate is replaced by a third gate; a CCD-to-CCD transfer gate connecting adjacent charge-coupled devices with the first gate one side of the transfer gate and the second gate or third gate being on the opposite side of the CCD-to-CCD transfer gate; all CCD-to-CCD transfer gates are electrically connected together; all first gates are electrically connected; all second gates are electrically connected; and all third gates are electrically connected; wherein n is an integer greater than one.