Patent ID: 7423679

Claim:
An image sensor comprising: an array of photosensors and an array of micro-lenses with each micro-lens confronting a group of more than one of the photosensors and concentrating light striking each micro-lens onto less than all of the confronted photosensors, so that said concentrating focuses the light striking the micro-lens so as to direct a portion of the light that would have traveled to photosensors in a residual image area onto selected photosensors located in a concentrated image area so that said selected photosensors receive enhanced exposure thereby increasing their effective sensitivity, and so that other photosensors in the group of photosensors associated with the micro-lens that are outside of the concentrated image area and that are located in the residual image area receive a reduced exposure thereby reducing the effective sensitivity of the other photosensors of the group; wherein said image sensor provides a output signals from which at least two images can be derived that are representative of a pattern of light incident on the array photosensors, said at least two images comprising at least a concentrated light image that can be derived from signals generated by the selected photosensors and a residual image that can be derived from signals generated by the other photosensors.