Abstract: A method and apparatus for throughput compression for use in a videophone camera wherein an array of photosensitive cells is divided into odd and even lines and the cells of these cells are interlaced with each other and then the interlaced lines are coupled together such that during a first time interval the electric charges stored in the cells of the even lines are transferred to a plurality of first storage cells, then transferred to a plurality of corresponding second storage cells during a succeeding time interval and finally added in the second storage cells to the electrical charges in the corresponding cells of the odd lines of the cell array during a third time interval.