Method of obtaining a digital image

A system comprising:

• a visible-spectrum light source configured to emit visible-spectrum light in a visible spectrum;
• a second light source that is configured to emit at least one type of light selected from the visible-spectrum light in the visible-spectrum and infrared-spectrum light in an infrared-spectrum;
• a driver configured to provide a first drive current having a first current density of about 1.0 A/mm2 to a first light source to generate a first light pulse having a first light intensity over a first duration and to provide a second drive current having a second current density of more than about 1.5 A/mm2 to the second light source to generate a second light pulse having a second light intensity that exceeds the first light intensity by at least about 100% over a second duration that is at most about 10% of the first duration, the first light pulse being a visible-spectrum light pulse, the first duration being at least a sensor integration time, the second duration being at most about 5.0 MS;
• at least one image sensor having pixels that are sensitive to at least the visible-spectrum light;
• and
• an image processing unit configured to combine information from a visible-spectrum image and a monochrome image to obtain a digital image of a scene.

A wireless device comprising:

• a camera flash comprising:
• a visible-spectrum light source configured to emit visible-spectrum light in a visible spectrum,
• a second light source that is configured to emit at least one type of light selected from the visible-spectrum light in the visible-spectrum and infrared-spectrum light in an infrared-spectrum, and
• a driver configured to provide a first drive current having a first current density of about 1.0 A/mm2 to a first light source to generate a first light pulse having a first light intensity over a first duration and to provide a second drive current having a second current density of more than about 1.5 A/mm2 to the second light source to generate a second light pulse having a second light intensity that exceeds the first light intensity by at least about 100% over a second duration that is at most about 10% of the first duration, the first light pulse being a visible-spectrum light pulse, the first duration being at least a sensor integration time, the second duration being at most about 5.0 ms;
• a camera comprising at least one image sensor having pixels that are sensitive to at least the visible-spectrum light;
• and
• an image processing unit configured to combine information from a visible-spectrum image and a monochrome image to obtain a digital image of a scene.