Solid-state color-encoding television camera

Claim 1

A solid-state, color-encoding television camera including: a solid state imager comprised of a periodic spatial pattern of light-sensing cells, said pattern including a given spatial period p 0 of a set of a predetermined plural number of contiguous light-sensing cells, said spatial period p 0 being oriented substantially parallel to a first axis; an objective lens situated at a distance from said imager for imaging light of wavelength λ from a scene on said cells of said imager, said objective lens having an f-number F 0 ; a periodic color-encoding filter having a given spatial period s that is an integral proportion of said given spatial period p 0 , said given period s being comprised of a plurality of different colors each of which corresponds to a separate element of said set of a predetermined plural number of contiguous light-sensing cells, said given spatial period s being oriented substantially parallel to a second axis, and said filter being situated between said objective lens and said imager at a distance (a+b) from said imager; and a lenticular array comprising periodic lenslets having a given spatial period r that is a given proportion of said given spatial period s of said filter, said given spatial period r being oriented substantially parallel to a third axis, and said array being situated at said distance (a) from said imager and at said distance (b) from said filter; wherein (1) said second axis is rotated in a first direction through an angle β with respect to said third axis, (2) said first axis is rotated in a second direction opposite to said first direction through an angle α substantially equal to αβ/b with respect to said third axis, and (3) the respective values of β, F 0 , λ, p 0 , s and r are so related that β is in the range of 0<βp 0 ≦λ F 0 , and cos β is substantially equal to 1/2(r/s+s/r-rs/p 0 2 ), and 1/r-1/s<1/p 0 .