Patent ID: 8345132

Claim:
A color image sensor integrated on a semiconductor die, the color image sensor comprising: a pixel array including a color filter array (“CFA”) overlaying an array of photo-sensors for acquiring a color image, wherein the CFA includes first color filter elements of a first color overlaying a first group of the photo-sensors and second color filter elements of a second color overlaying a second group of the photo-sensors, wherein the first color filter elements contribute to a first color channel of the color image and the second color filter elements contribute to a second color channel of the color image; a color combiner unit integrated into the semiconductor die and coupled to combine the first color channel with the second color channel to generate a third color channel of the color image based on the first and second color channels; and an output port coupled to the pixel array to output the color image having three color channels, wherein the output port outputs the three color channels off of the semiconductor die.