Patent ID: 7800676

Claim:
An image sensor comprising: an array of pixel sensors; and a control circuit outside the array, wherein the control circuit comprises a first transistor having a gate under control of a reference signal and a current mirror circuit coupled to drive a control line of the array with a mirrored current that mirrors a current through the first transistor, wherein each of the pixel sensors that are coupled to the control line and to a readout line comprises: a photodiode; a second transistor having a gate directly connected to a node of the photodiode, a first terminal coupled to the readout line and a second terminal directly connected to the control line; and a third transistor having a terminal directly connected to the node of the photodiode and a gate selectively coupled to the control line and the second terminal of the second transistor during a reset operation and uncoupled from the control line and the second terminal of the second transistor during an integration phase and a readout phase.