Systems and methods for implementing time delay integration imaging techniques in conjunction with distinct imaging regions on a monolithic charge-coupled device image sensor

A camera system comprising:

• an optical system;
• a CCD image sensor, itself comprising a plurality of pixels that define at least two distinct imaging regions, where a first distinct imaging region is configured to image a scene in a first spectral band having a first height and in a single channel, and at least a second distinct imaging region is configured to image a scene in a second spectral band having a second height and in multiple channels where the pixels within each distinct imaging region are configured to image a scene differently than at least one other distinct imaging region and wherein each of the plurality of pixels between rows are oppositely biased such that a fraction of the area of each of the plurality of pixels is configured to reflect the image scene;
• a CCD image signal processor;
• and
• a microprocessor;
• an amplifier operable to amplify accumulated intensity information read out from the CCD image sensor;
• and
• an analog to digital converter operable to receive amplified accumulated intensity information, and output a digital representation of the accumulated intensity information,
• wherein the optical system is configured to focus incident electromagnetic waves onto the CCD image sensor;
• and
• wherein the camera system is operable in a time-delay integration mode whereby time delay-integration imaging techniques are imposed with respect to each distinct imaging region such that the camera system reads out accumulated intensity information by repeatedly:
• accumulating intensity information in pixels within each row of pixels within a distinct imaging region;
• shifting accumulated intensity information to a subsequent row of pixels within the distinct imaging region, where a last row of pixels does not have a next row of pixels and instead shifts accumulated intensity information into an array of accumulators;
• and
• reading out accumulated intensity information from the array of accumulators.