Patent attributes
A light source module includes an illumination element and an adjustable light diffusing material. The light source module is configured to receive or generate a control signal for adjusting diffusion of light emitted from the light source module and accordingly adjust an amount of diffusion of light emitted from the light source module. In some embodiments, an adjustable light diffusing material includes a polymer stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT), a smectic phase liquid crystal, a polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC), or other suitable material. A controller for a light source module may determine a level of diffusion based on a level of inclusion of a wide-angle field of view of a wide-angle lens system or a telephoto field of view of a telephoto lens system in a composite camera field of view that includes a combination of the wide angle field of view and the telephoto field of view. Also, the controller may determine a level of diffusion based or an estimated distance to a scene in a camera field of view that is to be captured.