Moving image sensor by successive integration and summation, with active cmos pixels

摘要

The invention relates to image sensors in the form of a signal-summing, moving multi-line linear array for the synchronized reading of one and the same image line in succession by N lines of P photosensitive pixels and the summation, pixel by pixel, of the signals read by the various lines. The pixels are active pixels in MOS technology. Associated with the pixel matrix (MC) is a transfer matrix (MT) which comprises N lines of P accumulating registers. At each integration period, the content of a line of pixels is digitized (by a converter ADC) and stored in a line of accumulating registers, the latter line being switched at each new integration period in correspondence with the movement of the image past the sensor. The signals coming from an image line seen in succession by N lines of pixels accumulate in one and the same line of registers. At the end of N integration periods, the content of a given line of registers is extracted, and this line is reset to zero. Next, at each following integration period, it is the content of another line (according to a circular switching of the N lines) which is extracted and reset to zero. The extracted line is once again that which has undergone N accumulations after being reset to zero.