Patent ID: 7260323

Claim:
A method for using a photosensitive element that is photosensitive to light within a predetermined range of exposures to capture images including exposures that are outside the predetermined range of exposures: the method comprising the steps of: exposing the photosensitive element to light from a scene; passing the light from the scene through an array of micro-lenses as the light travels to the photosensitive element, with each micro-lens being adapted to fracture the light from the scene into concentrated and residual portions with the concentrated portions directed at concentrated image areas of the photosensitive element to form a pattern of concentrated image elements providing a concentrated image when light from the scene is within a first exposure range; and with the residual portions of the light directed at a residual image area of the photosensitive element and forming an image in the residual image area of the photosensitive element when light from the scene is within a second exposure range; wherein the combination of the first exposure range the and second exposure range has a greater range than the predetermined range of exposures.