IMAGING ARRAY HAVING VARIABLE PIXEL SIZE

摘要

The present invention includes an imaging apparatus[70] having an imaging array[71], readout amplifier[30], and controller[45]. The imaging array[71 ] includes a plurality of pixels [37a, 37b, 38a, 38b] that accumulate charge when exposed to light. The readout amplifier[30] receives charge from the pixels and generates a pixel signal indicative of the amount of charge received. The controller[30] causes the charge from a plurality of the pixels to be added together to form a sum charge that is received by the readout amplifier[30]. The imaging array[71 ] can include a plurality of columns[37, 38] of pixels, and the controller[45] causes the charge from a plurality of pixels[37a, 37b] in one of the columns to be added together to form a partial sum charge that is included in the sum charge. The readout amplifier[30] can include a horizontal shift register[20], and the partial sum charge can be generated in the shift cells.