| CPC G01J 1/44 (2013.01) [G01J 2001/446 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |
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1. A light sensor comprising:
an array of pixels arranged in rows and in columns; and
a control circuit coupled to the array of pixels;
wherein each pixel comprises a photodiode, a sense node coupled to the photodiode, and an initialization transistor connected to the sense node;
wherein N successive pixels of a column or of a row are associated, N being an integer greater than or equal to 2;
wherein the initialization transistor of a first one of the N pixels arranged at one end of the association of the N pixels is connected between the sense node of the first one of the pixels and a node of application of an initialization potential;
wherein for each two successive pixels among the N pixels, the initialization transistor of one of the two pixels that is the most distant from the end is connected between the sense nodes of the two pixels;
wherein the control circuit is configured to implement phases of initialization of the sense nodes of the N pixels, and, for each phase of initialization of the sense node of each of the N pixels, to keep in a conductive state simultaneously the initialization transistors coupling the sense node to the node of application of the initialization potential;
wherein the control circuit is configured, in a first operating mode where the N pixels are distributed in groups of successive pixels among the N pixels, and for each group, to keep in the conductive state the initialization transistor connected between the sense nodes of each two successive pixels of the group; and
wherein the control circuit is configured, for each simultaneous initialization phase in the pixels of two successive groups, to:
end the phase of initialization of the pixels of that of the two groups which is most distant from the node of application of the initialization potential by switching to a non-conductive state the initialization transistor of that of the pixels of the group which is closest to the node of application of the initialization potential, and
then end the phase of initialization of the pixels of that of the two groups which is closest to the node of application of the initialization potential by switching to the non-conductive state the initialization transistor of that of the pixels of the group which is closest to the node of application of the initialization potential.
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