Patent ID: 6909461

Claim:
An image capture system for generating an extended effective dynamic range from a signal provided by an image sensor, said image capture system comprising: an image sensing device having standard photosites with a predetermined response to a light exposure and non-standard photosites with a slower response to the same light exposure, said image sensing device having a color filter array of at least three different colors overlying said photosites, said standard and non-standard photosites each being associated with each of said colors; an optical section exposing the image sensing device to image light, thereby causing the image sensing device to generate an image signal; an additional section receiving said image signal; a processing section expanding the response of the standard photosites to increased light exposures by utilizing signals from neighboring non-standard photosites of the same color; and a controller having a normal mode and an expanding mode, said controller in said normal mode diverting said signal directly to said additional section, said controller in said expanding mode diverting said image signal through said processing section to said additional section.