Patent ID: 7755720

Claim:
An electro-optical filter for filtering light from an object, the filter being arranged for receiving the light via a first imaging element and comprising: a plurality of reflective elements for receiving and reflecting the light, each reflective element having an optical property; control electronics comprising a plurality of optical elements and being positioned partially behind reflective surfaces of the reflective elements, each optical element being positioned at or near a respective reflective element for receiving the light form the same incident light pathway as the respective reflective element, each optical element being arranged to control the optical property of the respective reflective element as a function of an intensity of the received light; and a beam splitter which is arranged for receiving light from the first imaging element and splitting the received light into light having two orthogonal polarisation states; wherein the optical property controls local filtering of the light intensity in a manner such that, above a predetermined intensity threshold, the filter reduces intensity differences of light originating from bright and dark regions of the object.