Patent ID: 6975355

Claim:
An image sensor, comprising: a sensor array comprising a two-dimensional array of pixel elements, each of said pixel elements of said sensor array outputting digital signals as pixel data representing an image of a scene, said digital signals being serial bit streams indicative of a light intensity impinging upon each pixel element, and said sensor array generating multiple sets of pixel data indicative of multiple representations of said image at a plurality of exposure times; a data memory, in communication with said sensor array, for storing said pixel data for each of said pixel, elements where said pixel data for each pixel element is associated with a representation of said image taken at one of said plurality of exposure times; and a threshold memory, in communication with said sensor array, for storing a threshold flag for each of said pixel elements, said threshold flag having a first value when said pixel data associated with a pixel element exceeds a predetermined threshold value and having a second value when said pixel data does not exceed the predetermined threshold value, wherein said threshold flag, once being set to said first value at one of said plurality of exposure times, retains said first value through the remaining exposure times of said plurality of exposure times, wherein said data memory stores pixel data for each pixel element associated with a representation of said image at each of the plurality of exposure times when said threshold flag in said threshold memory associated with the respective pixel element has said second value; and wherein said sensor array, said data memory and said threshold memory are fabricated in an integrated circuit.