Patent ID: 7342212

Claim:
An active pixel sensor (APS) image sensor comprising: an array of pixel circuits corresponding to rows and columns of pixels; a plurality of amplifiers that buffer signals output by the array of pixel circuits; a plurality of sample and hold circuits that read the buffered signals; a routing mechanism positioned between the array of pixel circuits and the plurality of amplifiers; and a controller that selects sets of pixels circuits for sampling, the controller configured to control the routing mechanism (1) to couple each pixel circuit in a set to a different one of the amplifiers during a normal mode of operation, and (2) to couple respective pixel circuits of a first row of pixel circuits in a first set of pixel circuits to respectively different amplifiers of a first subset of the amplifiers, to couple respective pixel circuits of a second row of pixel circuits in a second set of pixel circuits to respectively different amplifiers of a second subset of the amplifiers during a sub-sampling mode, and the controller further configured to control coupling of the amplifiers of the first and second subsets of amplifiers in pairs to a common one of the sample and hold circuits during the sub-sampling mode of operation.