Patent ID: 6888634

Claim:
A method for determining color information from light received by a sensing element, comprising the steps of: coupling the light to the sensing element, wherein the sensing element comprises a plurality of photodiodes, wherein a first set of photodiodes receive light that passed through a first filter that passes light of a first band of wavelengths, wherein a second set of photodiodes receive light that passed through a second filter that passes light of a second ban of wavelengths, wherein a third set of photodiodes receive light that passed through a third filter that passes light of a third band of wavelengths, wherein the sets of photodiodes are coupled to an integrator and output a plurality of signals that each have a frequency proportional to the intensity of light received by the respective set of photodiodes; coupling the plurality of signals to a processing element; determining color information with the processing element, wherein the processing element determines the color information based on the plurality of signals; and controlling the sensing element with control signals from the processing element, wherein a scale and sensitivity of the sensing element for the sets of photodiodes are controlled based on a range of light intensity values received by the sets of photodiodes.