Patent Document ID: 10021320
Application ID: 15195344
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. In a digital camera having an imaging array including a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, the digital camera further having a mechanical shutter having an open position allowing light to illuminate the imaging array and a closed position blocking light from illuminating the imaging array, a method for performing neutral density filtering of images captured by the imaging array, the method comprising: opening the mechanical shutter; operating each row in the array by: resetting all of the pixel sensors in the row by asserting a row reset signal and then asserting a pixel-select signal for all of the pixel sensors in the row at a time after the mechanical shutter is opened; starting exposure for all of the pixel sensors in the row at a row exposure start time by then de-asserting the pixel-select signal for all of the pixel sensors in the row, the row exposure start time for each row in the array being a function of a density filter function applied to an image to be captured by the array; ending the exposure for all of the pixel sensors in the row by closing the mechanical shutter; and reading pixel values from the plurality of pixels in the pixel array by again asserting the pixel-select signal for all of the pixel sensors in the row at a read time after the mechanical shutter has closed, the read time being unrelated to the row-exposure start time.