Patent ID: 9733486
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: G02B,H01L,H04N

Claim:
1. An imager array, comprising: a plurality of focal planes, where each of the plurality of focal planes comprises a two dimensional arrangement of pixels having at least two pixels in each dimension having a pixel pitch and each of the plurality of focal planes is contained within a region of the imager array that does not contain pixels from another one of the plurality of focal planes; control circuitry configured to control the capture of image information by the at least two pixels in each dimension within each of the plurality of focal planes; and sampling circuitry configured to convert pixel outputs into digital pixel data; wherein the pixels in the plurality of focal planes comprise a pixel stack including a microlens and an active area, where light incident on the surface of the microlens is focused onto the active area by the microlens and the active area samples the incident light to capture image information; wherein the pixel stack of each pixel in the at least two pixels in each dimension of each of the plurality of focal planes defines a pixel area and includes a pixel aperture, where the size of the pixel apertures is smaller than the pixel area and pixel stacks of each of the at least two pixels in each dimension of each of the plurality of focal planes are arranged to have a ratio of active area to pixel pitch that causes at least a certain amount of desired aliasing in the image information captured by the sampling circuitry.