Patent Document ID: 20130120537
Application ID: 13736178
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A camera comprising: a lens module having a focal plane and an optical axis, 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 a fixed relationship to the lens module in reference to the optical axis, 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 at least three different sections, including a first section, a second section and a third section, 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, the 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, any one of the second section and the third section of the light valve area is selectable to be clear while the light valve area outside said any one of the second section and the third section is opaque so as to allow a different part of the light beam to reach the image sensor to form a second image.