Multispectral sensing system and method

1. A multispectral sensing device, comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels comprising:

a plurality of sub-pixels, at least one of the sub-pixels comprising:

a tunable optical filter,

wherein the tunable optical filter has a wavelength sensing range that is tunable; and

wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels comprises:

a first sub-pixel comprising a first tunable optical filter; and

a second sub-pixel comprising a second tunable optical filter;

wherein the first tunable optical filter is tunable to a different wavelength sensing range than the second tunable optical filter.

2. The multispectral sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels further comprises:

a photodiode disposed below the optical filter, wherein the photodiode is configured to detect the light passed through the optical filter.

3. The multispectral sensing device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels further comprises:

a μlens disposed above the optical filter, wherein the μlens is configured to direct impinging light to pass through the optical filter.

4. The multispectral sensing device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a processing circuit coupled to each tunable optical filter and configured to tune a filtering range of each tunable optical filter.

5. A multispectral sensing device, comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels comprising:

a plurality of sub-pixels, at least one of the sub-pixels comprising:

a tunable optical filter,

wherein the tunable optical filter has a wavelength sensing range that is tunable;

wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels further comprises: a photodiode disposed below the optical filter, wherein the photodiode is configured to detect the light passed through the optical filter; and

a processing circuit coupled to the photodiodes of the sub-pixels, wherein the processing circuit is configured to obtain a reading of at least one photodiode in one of the pixels, and output a pixel reading based on the reading of the at least one photodiode;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to obtain sub-pixel readings of a plurality of the photodiodes in one of the pixels, and output a pixel reading based on a sum of the sub-pixel readings.

6. The multispectral sensing device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels further comprises:

a photodiode disposed below the optical filter, wherein the photodiode is configured to detect the light passed through the optical filter.

7. The multispectral sensing device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels further comprises:

a μlens disposed above the optical filter, wherein the μlens is configured to direct impinging light to pass through the optical filter.

8. The multispectral sensing device of claim 5 , further comprising:

a processing circuit coupled to each tunable optical filter and configured to tune a filtering range of each tunable optical filter.

9. A multispectral sensing device, comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels comprising:

a plurality of sub-pixels, at least one of the sub-pixels comprising:

a tunable optical filter,

wherein the tunable optical filter has a wavelength sensing range that is tunable;

wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels further comprises: a photodiode disposed below the optical filter, wherein the photodiode is configured to detect the light passed through the optical filter; and

a processing circuit coupled to the photodiodes of the sub-pixels, wherein the processing circuit is configured to obtain a reading of at least one photodiode in one of the pixels, and output a pixel reading based on the reading of the at least one photodiode;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to obtain a sub-pixel reading of one of the photodiodes in one of the pixels, and output a pixel reading based on the sub-pixel reading.

10. The multispectral sensing device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels further comprises:

a photodiode disposed below the optical filter, wherein the photodiode is configured to detect the light passed through the optical filter.

11. The multispectral sensing device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels further comprises:

a μlens disposed above the optical filter, wherein the μlens is configured to direct impinging light to pass through the optical filter.

12. A multispectral sensing device, comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels comprising:

a plurality of sub-pixels, at least one of the sub-pixels comprising:

a tunable optical filter,

wherein the tunable optical filter has a wavelength sensing range that is tunable; and

an array of pixel units, each comprising a plurality of the pixels, wherein

each of the pixels comprises four sub-pixels,

each of the pixel units comprises sixteen sub-pixels, and

the sixteen sub-pixels are configured to detect light of different wavelengths or wavelength bands.

13. The multispectral sensing device of claim 12 , wherein each of the pixel units comprises:

four of the pixels in a two by two configuration.

14. The multispectral sensing device of claim 13 , wherein the array is a Bayer-pattern array.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a pixel, comprising:

a plurality of sub-pixels, at least one of the sub-pixels comprising:

a tunable optical filter,

wherein the tunable optical filter has a wavelength sensing range that is tunable;

wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels comprises:

a first sub-pixel comprising a first tunable optical filter; and

a second sub-pixel comprising a second tunable optical filter;

wherein the first tunable optical filter is tunable to a different wavelength sensing range than the second tunable optical filter.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels further comprises:

a μlens disposed above the optical filter, wherein the μlens is configured to direct impinging light to pass through the optical filter.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a pixel, comprising:

a plurality of sub-pixels, at least one of the sub-pixels comprising:

a tunable optical filter,

wherein the tunable optical filter has a wavelength sensing range that is tunable;

a processing circuit coupled to the photodiodes of the sub-pixels, wherein the processing circuit is configured to obtain a reading of at least one photodiode in the pixel, and to output a pixel reading based on the reading of the at least one photodiode; and

wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels further comprises: a photodiode disposed below the optical filter, wherein the photodiode is configured to detect the light passed through the optical filter; and

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to obtain sub-pixel readings of a plurality of the photodiodes in the pixel, and output a pixel reading based on a sum of the sub-pixel readings.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:

a processing circuit coupled to each tunable optical filter and configured to tune a filtering range of each tunable optical filter.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a pixel, comprising:

a plurality of sub-pixels, at least one of the sub-pixels comprising:

a tunable optical filter,

wherein the tunable optical filter has a wavelength sensing range that is tunable;

a processing circuit coupled to the photodiodes of the sub-pixels, wherein the processing circuit is configured to obtain a reading of at least one photodiode in the pixel, and to output a pixel reading based on the reading of the at least one photodiode; and

wherein the at least one of the sub-pixels further comprises: a photodiode disposed below the optical filter, wherein the photodiode is configured to detect the light passed through the optical filter; and

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to obtain a sub-pixel reading of one of the photodiodes in the pixel, and output a pixel reading based on the sub-pixel reading.