Patent ID: 8736699

Claim:
A multi-region imaging system, comprising: a single aperture that limits light rays entering the imaging system; OPD-modifying optics and a sensor array, the OPD-modifying optics forming an optical image at the sensor array, the sensor array converting the optical image to a data stream; and a digital signal processor for processing the data stream to generate a final image; the OPD-modifying optics providing a first region in the optical image that is characterized by a first range of best focus and a second region in the optical image that is characterized by a second range of best focus, the first range and the second range corresponding to object distance ranges that are discontiguous; wherein the OPD-modifying optics impart, on the light rays entering through the single aperture, a continuous phase modification to provide the first and second regions in the optical image corresponding to object distance ranges that are discontiguous; wherein the digital signal processor utilizes information of the OPD-modifying optics to process portions of the data stream corresponding to the first region differently from portions of the datastream corresponding to the second region to generate the final image.