Patent ID: 8582010

Claim:
An image sensor, in particular a CMOS image sensor, for digital cameras, having a plurality of pixels ( 11 ) arranged in rows and columns, with the respective pixel ( 11 ) comprising: light-sensitive detector element ( 15 ) to generate electrical charge from incident light during an exposure procedure; a readout node ( 41 ); a transfer gate ( 39 ) to which a transfer control pulse can be applied to enable a charge transfer from the detector element ( 15 ) to the readout node ( 41 ); and a reset device ( 45 ) to reset a charge present in the readout node ( 41 ) to a reference value; and having a control device ( 53 ) for the control of the transfer gate ( 39 ) and of the reset device ( 45 ) of the respective pixel ( 11 ), wherein the control device ( 53 ) is designed so that the respective pixel ( 11 ) is read out in a plurality of readout steps during an ongoing charge generation within a single exposure procedure, namely such that a respective transfer control pulse is applied to the transfer gate ( 39 ) for each of the plurality of readout steps and a respective readout result is then produced; wherein the reset device ( 45 ) is activated between the transfer control pulses of the respective exposure procedure; wherein only the last transfer control pulse enables a complete charge transfer of the respective charge present in the detector element ( 15 ) to the readout node ( 41 ): wherein N readout steps take place, where N≧3 wherein the exposure procedure is divided into N time segments which are ended by a respective readout step; and wherein time segment disposed closer to a time center of the exposure procedure is shorter than a time segment disposed further away from the tithe center of the exposure procedure.