Patent ID: 8115846

Claim:
An active pixel sensor circuit, comprising: (a) a reset line for providing a reset signal, RESET; (b) a row select line for providing a row select signal, ROW SELECT; (c) a first supply voltage line for providing a first supply voltage, V REF ; (d) a second supply voltage line for providing a second supply voltage, V DD ; (e) a column readout line for outputting a photovoltaic signal; (f) a reset transistor having a gate electrically coupled to the reset line, a source and a drain electrically coupled to the first supply voltage line; (g) a photodiode having an anode electrically coupled to the row select line and a cathode electrically coupled to the source of the reset transistor; (h) an integral capacitor having a first terminal electrically coupled to the row select line and a second terminal electrically coupled to a node, N 1 , that is electrically coupled to the source of the reset transistor; and (i) a readout transistor having a gate electrically coupled to the node N 1 , a source electrically coupled to the column readout line at a node, N 2 , and a drain electrically coupled to the second supply voltage line, wherein each of the reset signal RESET and the row select signal ROW SELECT is configured to have a pulse with a low voltage and a high voltage, and the pulse of the row select signal ROW SELECT is shifted from the pulse of the reset signal RESET by a time period.