Device and method for producing an enhanced color image using a flash of infrared light

A device for producing an enhanced color image of a scene of interest, said device comprising:

• an infrared filter for blocking infrared light;
• a color image sensor operable to electronically capture images;
• and
• a processor operable to process two frames of digital image information, wherein a first frame is generated by capturing a grayscale image of said scene of interest without inserting said infrared filter in front of said color image sensor, and wherein a second frame is generated by capturing a color image of said scene of interest with said infrared filter inserted in front of said color image sensor, said processor further operable to combine grayscale information from said grayscale image with visible color information from said color image to produce said enhanced color image of said scene of interest, wherein combining grayscale information with visible color information comprises using a grayscale value of a first pixel in the grayscale image to modify the red, green, blue (RGB) values of a corresponding pixel in said color image, the modification of the RGB values being carried out without modifying the RGB color ratio of said corresponding pixel.

A method for producing an enhanced color image of a scene of interest, said method comprising:

• emitting a flash of infrared light at said scene of interest;
• electronically capturing a grayscale image of said scene of interest using said flash of infrared light, said grayscale image containing grayscale information of said scene of interest;
• using an infrared filter to block infrared light while electronically capturing a color image of said scene of interest without using any flash of infrared light, whereby said color image contains only visible color information of said scene of interest;
• and
• combining said grayscale information from said grayscale image with said visible color information from said color image to produce said enhanced color image of said scene of interest, wherein said combining comprises using a grayscale value of a first pixel in the grayscale image to modify the red, green, blue (RGB) values of a corresponding pixel in said color image, the modification of the RGB values being carried out without modifying the RGB color ratio of said corresponding pixel.