Patent ID: 7209172

Claim:
A multicolor light sensing pixel structure comprising: a photodiode structure comprising a first plurality of co-located light band detectors that generate a first plurality of analog detector signals from which an amount of energy detected by each of the first plurality of co-located light band detectors since the photodiode structure has been reset by a reset command can be determined; a first multiplexing circuit coupled to the first plurality of analog detector signals of the photodiode structure, which sequentially generates each of the first plurality of analog detector signals at a first multiplexed output during each cycle comprising a second plurality of time intervals that occur between two reset commands; a second multiplexing circuit coupled to a first plurality of reference signals, which sequentially generates at a second multiplexed output each of the first plurality of reference signals in synchronism with the first multiplexed output; and a single digital pixel sensor circuit having inputs coupled to the first and second multiplexed outputs, which sequentially generates for each cycle a series of digital outputs based on the first and second multiplexed outputs.