Patent ID: 6388709
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: H01L,H04N

Abstract:
An image sensing apparatus comprising:a solid-state image sensing element having a plurality of pixels for performing an image sensing operation; a plurality of optical modulation means, each of which corresponds to each of said plurality of pixels, for modulating incoming light toward said plurality of pixels; changing means for changing spectral transmission characteristics of said optical modulation means among a predetermined number of spectral transmission characteristics so that said plurality of optical modulation means collectively forms one of a plurality of spectral transmission patterns; image pickup control means for controlling said solid-state image sensing element to perform said image sensing operation a plurality of times in response to the changing of the spectral transmission characteristics by said changing means; and synthesis means for synthesizing a plurality of images obtained from the plurality of image sensing operations performed under control of said image pickup control means, wherein a spectral transmission pattern which is used for at least one image sensing operation controlled by said image pickup control means is formed by controlling said plurality of optical modulation means to include different spectral transmission characteristics and the number of the plurality of spectral transmission patterns is smaller than the number of the spectral transmission characteristics.