Patent ID: 7496293
Filing Date: 2009-02-24
Classification: G03B,H04N

Abstract:
1. Versatile camera for various visibility conditions, comprising: at least two sensors for capturing images of a scene and providing a digital signal representation of said images; an optical and routing module for receiving incoming rays from said scene and routing said incoming rays toward said at least two sensors, respectively; and a processor for merging in registration and processing the images provided by said at least two sensors, wherein at least one of said at least two sensors comprises a good visibility conditions sensor having low sensitivity and high resolution in a first wavelength range; wherein at least another of said at least two sensors comprises a poor visibility conditions sensor having high sensitivity and low resolution in a second wavelength range at least partially overlapping said first wavelength range; and wherein said optical and routing module directs, for the partially overlapping portion of said first wavelength range and said second wavelength range a small-portion of the light intensity of said incoming rays toward said good visibility conditions sensor, said optical and routing module further directing a large-portion of the light intensity of said incoming rays toward said poor visibility conditions sensor, and for the non-overlapping portion of said second wavelength range, said optical and routing module directs said incoming rays toward said poor visibility conditions sensor.