Charge coupled imaging device and method in which redundant lines can be dumped

Abstract

A charge coupled imaging device includes a matrix of elements for converting an image projected onto the matrix into a frame of charge packets, along with a system of vertical charge transport channels ( ) and a horizontal read-out register (C). A structure is provided for dumping unnecessary lines into a removal region in a certain operating mode. These lines are dumped at the transition between the imaging section and the memory section. The imaging device includes an imaging section (A) and a separate memory section (B) as well as a removal region ( ) situated below the matrix as an anti-blooming provision. Unnecessary lines may be dumped, for example, into the substrate in that the transport in the imaging section is continued during frame transport while at the same time the transport in the memory section is stopped. To prevent or at least reduce aliasing, the charge pattern in the imaging section is displaced while an image is being captured such that, within a group of k lines of which only one line will be sampled, the remaining, unused k− lines being dumped, the selected line will contain charge originating from the non-selected lines.