Method and apparatus for a chopped two-chip cinematography camera

1. A camera comprising:

a first sensor disposed to image light that propagates along a reflected axis;

a second sensor disposed to image light that propagates along a direct axis; and

a rotatable structure disposed to define a rotation plane that is oblique to both the reflected axis and the direct axis, the rotatable structure having a first reflection sector, a first opaque sector disposed adjacent to the first reflection section, a first transmission sector disposed adjacent to the first opaque sector, a second reflection sector disposed adjacent to the first transmission sector, and a second transmission sector disposed adjacent to the second reflection sector.

2. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable structure further includes a third reflection sector disposed adjacent to the second transmission sector and a third transmission sector disposed adjacent to the third reflection sector.

3. A camera according to claim 1 , wherein:

the rotatable structure and the first and second sensors are configured so that the light that propagates along the reflected axis is reflected from the first and second reflection sectors; and

the first and second reflection sectors further include a coating that filters out near infrared wavelengths of the light.

4. A method comprising steps of (1) operating a first sensor of a camera to integrate a first charge over a first time interval, (2) operating a second sensor of the camera to integrate a second charge over a second time interval and (3) scanning the first and second sensors to readout the respective first and second charges during a third time interval, wherein:

the operating of the first sensor includes integrating the first charge in the first sensor while a first image light reflects from a first reflection sector of a rotatable structure onto the first sensor;

the operating of the second sensor includes integrating the second charge in the second sensor while a second image light passes through a first transmission sector of the rotatable structure onto the second sensor;

the scanning includes transferring the integrated first and second charges from the respective first and second sensors while a first opaque sector of the rotatable structure prevents the first and second image light from impinging on at least one of the first and second sensors;

the first time interval overlaps the second time interval;

the third time interval includes no overlapping time with the first time interval;

the third time interval includes no overlapping time with the second time interval;

the operating of the first sensor further includes integrating the first charge in the first sensor while the first image light reflects from a second reflection sector of the rotatable structure onto the first sensor; and

the operating of the second sensor further includes integrating the second charge in the second sensor while the second image light passes through a second transmission sector of the rotatable structure onto the second sensor.

5. A method comprising steps of (1) operating a first sensor of a camera to integrate a first charge over a first time interval, (2) operating a second sensor of the camera to integrate a second charge over a second time interval and (3) scanning the first and second sensors to readout the respective first and second charges during a third time interval, wherein:

the operating of the first sensor includes integrating the first charge in the first sensor while a first image light reflects from a first reflection sector of a rotatable structure onto the first sensor;

the operating of the second sensor includes integrating the second charge in the second sensor while a second image light passes through a first transmission sector of the rotatable structure onto the second sensor;

the scanning includes transferring the integrated first and second charges from the respective first and second sensors while a first opaque sector of the rotatable structure prevents the first and second image light from impinging on at least one of the first and second sensors;

the first time interval overlaps the second time interval;

the third time interval includes no overlapping time with the first time interval;

the third time interval includes no overlapping time with the second time interval;

the integrating of the first charge in the first sensor while the first image light reflects from the first reflection sector occurs during the first time interval;

the integrating of the second charge in the second sensor while the second image light passes through the first transmission sector occurs during an overlapping period of the first and second time intervals;

the operating of the first sensor further includes integrating the first charge in the first sensor while the first image light reflects from a second reflection sector of the rotatable structure onto the first sensor during the overlapping period of the first and second time intervals;

the operating of the second sensor further includes integrating the second charge in the second sensor while the second image light passes through a second transmission sector of the rotatable structure onto the second sensor during the second time interval; and

the transferring of the integrated first and second charges occurs during the third time interval.

6. The method of claim 4 , including steps of:

the step of operating the first sensor further includes integrating the first charge in the first sensor while the first image light reflects from a third reflection sector of the rotatable structure onto the first sensor; and

the step of operating the second sensor further includes integrating the second charge in the second sensor while the second image light passes through a third transmission sector of the rotatable structure onto the second sensor.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

the time period while operating the second sensor to integrate the second charge in the second sensor while the second image light passes through a second transmission sector is included within the first time interval; and

the step of operating the first sensor further includes integrating the first charge in the first sensor while the first image light reflects from a third reflection sector of the rotatable structure onto the first sensor during the overlapping period of the first and second time intervals; and

the step of operating the second sensor further includes integrating the second charge in the second sensor while the second image light passes through a third transmission sector of the rotatable structure onto the second sensor during the second time interval.