Patent ID: 8300108

Claim:
A multi-channel imaging device comprising: a focal plane array comprising an array of pixels configured to detect radiation in a predetermined wavelength band, wherein subsets of the array of pixels are arranged to define a plurality of unit cell image areas; a lens array comprising a plurality of lens elements configured to image a scene onto the plurality of unit cell image areas, wherein the lens elements and the unit cell image areas define a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell comprising at least one lens element and at least one unit cell image area, and wherein each unit cell is configured to create a complete image of the scene; a plurality of unit cell filters corresponding to the plurality of unit cells configured to filter radiation corresponding to the scene such that each unit cell is dedicated to an image channel, wherein each unit cell filter spans more than one individual pixel and the dedicated image channel comprises a spectral channel, a panchromatic channel, a polarimetric channel, or a combination thereof; and at least one pair of adjacent unit cells dedicated to a spectral-polarimetric channel or a polarimetric channel such that the polarization orientation of the radiation filtered by a first unit cell of the pair of adjacent unit cells is orthogonal to the polarization orientation of the radiation filtered by a second unit cell of the pair of adjacent unit cells.