Patent Document ID: 8363156
Application ID: 12798775
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A camera comprising: a lens module having a focal plane, the lens module configured for receiving an incoming light beam for forming an image at the focal plane; an image sensor located substantially at the focal plane for sensing the image, the image sensor configured for providing electrical signal indicative of the image to a storage device; and a light valve located in relationship to the lens module, the light valve comprising a valve area positioned in a path of the light beam, wherein the light valve is operable at least in a first state and in a second state, the light valve area comprising a layer of electro-optical material disposed between a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer, the first and second electrode layer configured to apply an electric field on the electro-optical material, wherein at least one of the first and second electrode layers is patterned such that when the light valve is operated in the first state, a first section of the light valve area is clear while the light valve area outside the first section is opaque so as to allow only a part of the light beam to reach the image sensor through the first section to form a first image on the image sensor, and when the light valve is operated in a second state, a different second section of the light valve area is clear while the light valve area outside the second section is opaque so as to allow a different part of the light beam to reach the image sensor to form a second image; wherein the light valve is configured to operate in the first state and the second state in an alternate fashion in a time cycle and the image sensor is configured for providing the electrical signal to the storage device in the time cycle so as to allow the storage device to record a series of recorded images representative of the first and second images in the alternate fashion in a video mode, and wherein the light valve is further operable in a third state, and said at least one of the first and second electrode layers is patterned such that when the light valve is operated in the third state, a third section of the light valve area is clear while the light area outside the third section is opaque so as to allow only a part of the light beam to reach the image sensor through the third section to form a third image on the image sensor in a single-shot mode, the third section located between the first section and the second section, said camera further comprising: a user interface for allowing a user to choose between the video mode or the single-shot mode.