Patent Document ID: 20030178549
Application ID: 10103640
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A scannerless range imaging system having extended dynamic range for capturing range information from illumination reflected from a scene, said scannerless range imaging system comprising: an illumination system for illuminating the scene with modulated illumination of a predetermined modulation frequency, whereby some of the modulated illumination is reflected from objects in the scene; an image intensifier receiving the reflected illumination and including a modulating stage for modulating the reflected modulated illumination from the scene with the predetermined modulation frequency; an image responsive element arranged in an optical path of the image intensifier, said image responsive element including an array of individual pixels for capturing images output by the image intensifier, including at least one image corresponding to the reflected modulated illumination, whereby the modulation of the reflected modulated illumination incorporates a phase delay corresponding to the distance of objects in the scene from the range imaging system; and a transmittance filter including a plurality of filter elements having a spatially varying pattern of transmittance, said filter elements arranged in a one-to-one mapping with respect to the pixels forming the image responsive element, whereby the spatially varying pattern of transmittance provides a plurality of separate exposures which are subsequently combined to form an output image with an expanded dynamic range.