Patent ID: 7952635

Claim:
A CMOS image sensor, comprising: a photosensitive element configured to collect charge when light strikes the photosensitive element; a reset gate adjacent the photosensitive element and configured to drain excess charge from the photosensitive element; a charge-transporting circuit, comprising: a first charge coupled device (CCD) electrode, a second CCD electrode and a third CCD electrode, said CCD electrodes aligned in series and adjacent the photosensitive element, the first CCD electrode actuated to transfer a signal charge from the photosensitive element to the first CCD electrode, the second CCD electrode actuated to transfer the signal charge from the first CCD electrode to the second CCD electrode, the third CCD electrode actuated to transfer the signal charge from the second CCD electrode to the third CCD electrode and onto a sense node; and a readout circuit coupled to the sense node and arranged to measure a voltage corresponding to the signal charge transferred to the sense node.