Patent ID: 8466991

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving a first row address of a pixel array of an imaging system, the pixel array comprising a plurality of rows of pixels, shunting circuitry, and column circuitry, wherein the first row address defines a row of pixels of the plurality of rows of pixels that is currently being sampled; determining whether the first row address corresponds to a row including at least one optical black pixel cell; in response to determining the first row address corresponds to a row including at least one optical black pixel cell, enabling a plurality of switches of the shunting circuitry to couple a plurality of column lines of the pixel array together, wherein each of the plurality of column lines couples pixel cells of a corresponding column together; and in response to not determining the first row address corresponds to a row including at least one optical black pixel cell, disabling the plurality of switches such that the plurality of switches de-couple the plurality of column lines.