US Patent 10924692 Depth and multi-spectral camera

A camera includes a time-of-flight illuminator configured to emit active IR light and a plurality of spectral illuminators, each spectral illuminator configured to emit active spectral light in a different spectral light sub-band. The camera further includes a sensor array that includes a plurality of differential sensors. Each differential sensor is configured to differentially measure both 1) the active IR light, and 2) the active spectral light in each of the different spectral light sub-bands. The camera further includes an output machine operatively connected to the sensor array. The output machine is configured to output a matrix of pixels based on time-multiplexed measurements of the sensor array. Each pixel of the matrix includes 1) a depth value, and 2) a plurality of spectral values. Each of the plurality of spectral values corresponds to a spectral light sub-band of one of the plurality of spectral illuminators.