CMOS Image Sensor with Shared Sensing Node

Abstract

A CMOS image sensor has a pixel array provided with a plurality of unit pixels arranged in a matrix shape of rows and columns. Each of the unit pixels includes a photocharge generation means for generating photocharges by absorbing an external light; and a sensing node for receiving the photocharges transferred from the photocharge generation means, wherein the sensing node of the unit pixel in a previous scan line is shared with a sensing node of a unit pixel in a current scan line in response to a line select signal of the current line.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising: collecting charge generated by a first pixel of a plurality of pixels;
 transferring charge generated by the first pixel to a first sensing node of the first pixel and to a second sensing node of a second pixel of the plurality of pixels; and   generating, based on charge transferred to both the first sending node and the second sensing node, an output signal that is indicative of charge collected by the first pixel.