Abstract: There are many, many inventions described herein. In one aspect, what is disclosed is a digital camera including a plurality of arrays of photo detectors, including a first array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a first wavelength and a second array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a second wavelength. The digital camera further may also include a first lens disposed in an optical path of the first array of photo detectors, wherein the first lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the first wavelength, and a second lens disposed in with an optical path of the second array of photo detectors wherein the second lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the second wavelength.

Abstract: An imager apparatus and methods are described. An embodiment of an imager module includes a plurality of groups of optical lenses, a lens frame, and at least one associated lens barrel configured to position and hold the plurality of groups of optical lenses. At least one of the groups of optical lenses is movable with respect to at least one other group of optical lenses for achieving optical focus. The imager module includes an integrated circuit (IC) imager die in proximity to the plurality of lenses, the imager die containing at least one image capture microelectronic device. The imager module includes a modular frame assembly that contains a first portion that holds a plurality of lens barrels, each containing one or more focusing lenses, and a second portion that supports the first portion at a specific distance from the substrate being imaged. The lens barrels are each responsive to different wavelengths or bands of wavelengths.

Abstract: There are many, many inventions described herein. In one aspect, what is disclosed is a digital camera including a plurality of arrays of photo detectors, including a first array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a first wavelength and a second array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a second wavelength. The digital camera further may also include a first lens disposed in an optical path of the first array of photo detectors, wherein the first lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the first wavelength, and a second lens disposed in with an optical path of the second array of photo detectors wherein the second lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the second wavelength.

Abstract: There are many, many inventions described herein. In one aspect, what is disclosed is a digital camera including a plurality of arrays of photo detectors, including a first array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a first wavelength and a second array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a second wavelength. The digital camera further may also include a first lens disposed in an optical path of the first array of photo detectors, wherein the first lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the first wavelength, and a second lens disposed in with an optical path of the second array of photo detectors wherein the second lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the second wavelength.

Abstract: There are many, many inventions described herein. In one aspect, what is disclosed is a digital camera including a plurality of arrays of photo detectors, including a first array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a first wavelength and a second array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a second wavelength. The digital camera further may also include a first lens disposed in an optical path of the first array of photo detectors, wherein the first lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the first wavelength, and a second lens disposed in with an optical path of the second array of photo detectors wherein the second lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the second wavelength.

Abstract: Digital camera systems and methods are described that provide a color digital camera with direct luminance detection. The luminance signals are obtained directly from a broadband image sensor channel without interpolation of RGB data. The chrominance signals are obtained from one or more additional image sensor channels comprising red and/or blue color band detection capability. The red and blue signals are directly combined with the luminance image sensor channel signals. The digital camera generates and outputs an image in YCrCb color space by directly combining outputs of the broadband, red and blue sensors.

Abstract: An imager apparatus and methods are described. An embodiment of an imager module includes a plurality of groups of optical lenses, a lens frame, and at least one associated lens barrel configured to position and hold the plurality of groups of optical lenses. At least one of the groups of optical lenses is movable with respect to at least one other group of optical lenses for achieving optical focus. The imager module includes an integrated circuit (IC) imager die in proximity to the plurality of lenses, the imager die containing at least one image capture microelectronic device. The imager module includes a modular frame assembly that contains a first portion that holds a plurality of lens barrels, each containing one or more focusing lenses, and a second portion that supports the first portion at a specific distance from the substrate being imaged. The lens barrels are each responsive to different wavelengths or bands of wavelengths.

Abstract: Embodiments of a solid-state camera system, particularly an imager module and an associated assembly method are described herein. Embodiments of the imager module include an optics frame configured to accommodate multiple optical channels, each optical channel comprising a lower lens group and an upper lens group. At least one of the lens groups is movable with respect to the other and to image sensors. The imaging sensors may be contained in an imager die. Embodiments further include an assembly method, including an optical configuration and method for mounting and focusing to image sensor microelectronic circuitry. Various embodiments are directed toward packaging microelectronic imagers that are responsive to radiation in the visible light spectrum or radiation in other spectrums to provide a small imager module size suitable for automated manufacture at low cost but are not so limited.

Abstract: Digital camera systems and methods are described that provide digital cameras with large effective single-frame dynamic exposure ranges. The digital camera systems include multiple channels. Each channel includes an optics component and sensor comprising an array of photo-detectors. The sensors of the camera channels are integrated on a semiconductor substrate. The camera systems include a processing component coupled to the channels. The processing component is configured to separately and simultaneously control an integration time of each channel. The integration time of at least one channel is controlled relative to the integration time of at least one other channel so that an image formed by combining data of a frame received simultaneously from the channels has a relatively large dynamic range.

Abstract: An imager apparatus and methods are described. An embodiment of an imager module includes a plurality of groups of optical lenses, a lens frame, and at least one associated lens barrel configured to position and hold the plurality of groups of optical lenses. At least one of the groups of optical lenses is movable with respect to at least one other group of optical lenses for achieving optical focus. The imager module includes an integrated circuit (IC) imager die in proximity to the plurality of lenses, the imager die containing at least one image capture microelectronic device.

Abstract: There are many, many inventions described herein. In one aspect, what is disclosed is a digital camera including a plurality of arrays of photo detectors, including a first array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a first wavelength and a second array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a second wavelength. The digital camera further may also include a first lens disposed in an optical path of the first array of photo detectors, wherein the first lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the first wavelength, and a second lens disposed in with an optical path of the second array of photo detectors wherein the second lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the second wavelength.

Abstract: There are many inventions described herein. Some aspects are directed to methods and/or apparatus to provide relative movement between optics, or portion(s) thereof, and sensors, or portion(s) thereof, in a digital camera. The relative movement may be in any of various directions. In some aspects, relative movement between an optics portion, or portion(s) thereof, and a sensor portion, or portion(s) thereof, are used in providing any of various features and/or in the various applications disclosed herein, including, for example, but not limited to, increasing resolution, optical and electronic zoom, image stabilization, channel alignment, channel-channel alignment, image alignment, lens alignment, masking, image discrimination, range finding, 3D imaging, auto focus, mechanical shutter, mechanical iris, multi and hyperspectral imaging, and/or combinations thereof.

Abstract: There are many, many inventions described herein. In one aspect, what is disclosed is a digital camera including a plurality of arrays of photo detectors, including a first array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a first wavelength and a second array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a second wavelength. The digital camera further may also include a first lens disposed in an optical path of the first array of photo detectors, wherein the first lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the first wavelength, and a second lens disposed in with an optical path of the second array of photo detectors wherein the second lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the second wavelength.

Abstract: There are many, many inventions described herein. In one aspect, what is disclosed is a digital camera including a plurality of arrays of photo detectors, including a first array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a first wavelength and a second array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a second wavelength. The digital camera further may also include a first lens disposed in an optical path of the first array of photo detectors, wherein the first lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the first wavelength, and a second lens disposed in with an optical path of the second array of photo detectors wherein the second lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the second wavelength.

Abstract: A histogram projection system which automatically optimizes, tracks changes in luminance and adjusts in real time the display of wide dynamic range imagery from IR cameras. It is computationally simpler than and offers markedly superior results to the standard available technique for this purpose, histogram equalization. The new technique assigns display dynamic range equally to each occupied intensity level in the raw data in contrast to the old procedure which assigns dynamic range in proportion to the number of pixels at given levels. Less shot noise and greater resolution of image detail for smaller objects or targets are the main improvements from the new algorithm. By the expedient of undersampling the image pixels in carrying out the histogram processing, one can in effect gradually increase the degree of dynamic range assigned to majority or background pixel levels, thereby enhancing the contrast in background regions when desired.