Patent ID: 7830425

Claim:
An areal active pixel image sensor (AAPS) with programmable row-specific gain for converting an incoming hyper-spectral light image into a corresponding video output signal (VOS), the AAPS comprises: a) an imaging array further comprising M-rows×N-columns (M>1, N>=1) of active pixel sensor (APS) elements APS jk (j=1,2, . . . ,M and k=1,2, . . . , N) each capable of photoelectrically converting and integrating an incident pixel light of the hyper-spectral light image, through an integration time period TNT jk , into a corresponding photoelectric signal PES jk with a photoelectric signal gain of GPE jk ; b) a video output signal conditioner (VOSC), coupled to the imaging array, for multiplexing and amplifying said photoelectric signals PES jk into the VOS with an electric signal gain of GEE jk ; and c) said VOSC further programmably sets at least one of said GPE jk and GEE jk to be row-specific in that: c1) in case of row-specific GPE jk , for each row index j, GPE j1 =GPE j2 = . . . =GPE jN ; and c2) in case of row-specific GEE jk , for each row index j, GEE j1 =GEE j2 = . . . =GEE jN whereby the AAPS exhibits an overall photoelectric signal gain of GOA jk =GPE jk ×GEE jk that is row-specific hence capable of compensating for a problem caused by non-uniform spectral response of the APS elements during hyper-spectral imaging.