Patent ID: 8279317

Claim:
A method for capturing images with an image sensor that includes a plurality of pixels each including a photosensitive area, a plurality of vertical charge coupled devices (VCCDs) each comprising a plurality of charge storage elements and positioned adjacent to respective columns of pixels, and transfer mechanisms for transferring charge packets from the photosensitive areas to respective charge storage elements the method comprising: beginning light integration for all of the pixels, wherein the photosensitive areas accumulate charge packets; transferring charge packets from a first portion of pixels to respective charge storage elements in the VCCDs at a first time, wherein the charge packets from the first portion of pixels have a first integration period; transferring charge packets from a second portion of pixels to respective charge storage elements in the VCCDs at a second time subsequent to the first time, wherein the charge packets from the second portion of pixels have a second integration period; ending light integration for all of the pixels; reading out together (i) the charge packets from the first portion of pixels with the first integration period and (ii) the charge packets from the second portion of pixels with the second integration time from the VCCDs; resetting the photosensitive areas; beginning light integration for all of the pixels, wherein the photosensitive areas accumulate charge packets; transferring charge packets from the second portion of pixels to respective charge storage elements in the VCCDs at a third time, wherein the charge packets from the second portion of pixels have a third integration period; transferring charge packets from the first portion of pixels to respective charge storage elements in the VCCDs at a fourth time subsequent to the third time, wherein the charge packets from the first portion of pixels have a fourth integration period; ending light integration for all of the pixels; and reading out together (i) the charge packets from the second portion of pixels with the third integration period and (ii) the charge packets from the first portion of pixels with the fourth integration time from the VCCDs, wherein the first portion of pixels comprises multiple adjacent lines of pixels and the second portion of pixels comprises multiple adjacent lines of pixels.