Patent ID: 7651282

Claim:
An optical device for acquiring at least one image, the device comprising: a first light modulator layer having a plurality of elements, each having a transmittance, wherein the transmittance of each of the plurality of elements is controllable; a plurality of lenses, wherein each of the plurality of lenses is disposed to receive light independently of each other and wherein each of the plurality of lenses corresponds to a unique subset of the plurality of elements of the first light modulator layer; an image detector configured to acquire at least one image from light that passes through at least one of the plurality of lenses and the first light modulator layer; and a controller configured to control transmittance of the plurality of elements of the first light modulator layer, wherein the controller is further configured to created at least one first aperture within the first light modulator layer, the at least one first aperture comprising at least one element of the first light modulator layer having a higher transmittance than elements surrounding the at least one first aperture, wherein the at least one first aperture is collocated with at least one first lens among the plurality of lenses, allowing light that enters the at least one first lens to pass through the first light modulator layer, and wherein the controller is further configured to change the location of the at least one first aperture an collocate the at least one first aperture with at least one second lens among the plurality of lenses.