Patent ID: 7636115

Claim:
An imaging device comprising: at least one pixel array comprising, at least one set of pixels, each set of pixels comprising: at least two pixel cells, each pixel cell having a photosensor; a mask layer having at least one set of openings, each set of openings corresponding to a set of pixel cells, each opening of a set corresponding to a photosensor of a pixel cell of a set of pixel cells, each set of openings having different sized openings; and a neutral density filter layer comprising at least one set of neutral density filters corresponding to a set of mask layer openings such that each filter of a set corresponds to an opening of a mask set, each set of filters having at least two neutral density filters with different light transmit-ability properties, wherein a first pixel cell has a mask layer with a first aperture size and a neutral density filter layer with a first transparency and a second pixel cell has a mask with a second aperture size and a neutral density filter layer with a second transparency, wherein said first aperture size is larger than said second aperture size and said first transparency is lighter than said second transparency.