Patent ID: 7362365

Claim:
A method in an image sensor for digitally recording an image of a scene within a snapshot of said scene, said image sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of pixel elements, said method comprising: after an initial exposure period within said snapshot, sampling pixel intensity values at said pixel elements at a plurality of exposure times within said snapshot, each of said pixel intensity values being indicative of a light intensity value impinging on each of said pixel elements in said array; providing an analog reference voltage corresponding to a digital count value which digital count value decrements from an initial count value to a final count value at said plurality of exposure times; comparing said pixel intensity values to said analog reference voltage at each of said plurality of exposure times; if said pixel intensity value of a first pixel element is less than said analog reference voltage at a first exposure time, generating an output signal having a first value at said first pixel element; and in response to said output signal having said first value, recording said digital count value corresponding to said analog reference voltage at said first exposure time as pixel data associated with said first pixel element, wherein said initial exposure period comprises an exposure time of T SS /2 r , where T SS is the exposure time for said snapshot and r is an integer.