Patent ID: 8218068

Claim:
A method for producing a digital image from pixel signals captured by an image sensor array comprising the steps of: a) providing an image sensor array having at least two groups of pixels wherein the number of pixels of any group has no less than one-quarter of the number of pixels of the portion of the entire sensor that produces the digital image and wherein the pixels of each group are uniformly distributed over the sensor; b) exposing the image sensor array to scene light and reading pixel charge generated over a first exposure duration from only the first group of pixels to produce a first set of pixel signals, wherein the first group of pixels is reset after reading the pixel charge generated over the first exposure duration; c) after producing the first set of pixel signals and resetting the first group of pixels, and while still exposing the image sensor array, reading pixel charge generated over a second exposure duration from the second group of pixels and reading pixel charge generated over a third exposure duration from the first group to produce a second set of pixel signals; and d) using the first and second sets of pixel signals to produce the digital image.