Scrolling spectral filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11245877-B2
Application number	US-202016898914-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2020
Priority date	Jun 11, 2020
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A device including an array of pixels and a filter wheel may capture a plurality of images by exposing the array of pixels. The device may spin, while capturing the plurality of images, the filter wheel, and the filter wheel may include filter segments. In some implementations, a portion of the filter wheel in front of the array of pixels includes two or more filter segments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
capturing, by a device including an array of pixels and a filter wheel, a plurality of images by exposing the array of pixels; and
spinning, by the device and while capturing the plurality of images, the filter wheel,
wherein the filter wheel includes filter segments, and
wherein a portion of the filter wheel in front of the array of pixels includes two or more filter segments.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of pixels includes rows of pixels, and
wherein capturing the plurality of images by exposing the array of pixels comprises sequentially exposing, at a shutter speed and in a rolling shutter mode, each row of pixels of the array of pixels.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein capturing the plurality of images by exposing the array of pixels comprises simultaneously exposing, in a global shutter mode, pixels of the array of pixels.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filter wheel includes a repeating sequence of filter segments, and
wherein each filter segment in the repeating sequence of filter segments is a different type of filter segment from other filter segments in the repeating sequence of filter segments.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the array of pixels is a first array of pixels,
the plurality of images is a first plurality of images,
the portion of the filter wheel in front of the first array of pixels is a first portion,
the device includes a second array of pixels, and
a second portion of the filter wheel in front of the second array of pixels includes two or more filter segments.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
capturing, while capturing the first plurality of images and while spinning the filter wheel, a second plurality of images by exposing the second array of pixels.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
generating, based on the first plurality of images and the second plurality of images, at least one of a three-dimensional image or a three-dimensional video.

8. A method, comprising:
capturing, by a device including an array of rows of pixels and a filter wheel, a plurality of images by sequentially exposing, at a shutter speed and in a rolling shutter mode, each row of pixels of the array; and
spinning, by the device, while capturing the plurality of images, and at a wheel speed, the filter wheel,
wherein the filter wheel includes filter segments, and
wherein a portion of the filter wheel in front of the array includes two or more filter segments.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wheel speed corresponds to the shutter speed such that, for an image of the plurality of images, a single filter segment of the filter segments is positioned in front of each exposed row of pixels.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
blocking light from filter segments other than the single filter segment.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
before exposing a row of pixels, resetting pixels of the row of pixels.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
capturing multiple images with a single type of filter segment positioned in front of each exposed row of pixels; and
combining the multiple images of the plurality of images, by mathematical transform of pixel values of the multiple images, to generate a composite image.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein spinning the filter wheel comprises spinning the filter wheel at the wheel speed such that multiple filter segments of the filter segments are positioned in front of each exposed row.

14. A device, comprising:
an array of rows of pixels;
a filter wheel including filter segments,
wherein a portion of the filter wheel positioned in front of the array includes two or more filter segments; and

one or more processors configured to:
capture a plurality of images by exposing the array; and
spin, while capturing the plurality of images, the filter wheel.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the rows of pixels have a row width, and
wherein portions of the filter segments positioned in front of the array have a segment width greater than or equal to the row width.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein the filter wheel includes a repeating sequence of filter segments, and
wherein at least one of:
each filter segment in the repeating sequence of filter segments is a different type of filter segment from other filter segments in the repeating sequence of filter segments,
each filter segment in the repeating sequence of filter segments passes a different wavelength range from other filter segments in the repeating sequence of filter segments, or
the repeating sequence of filter segments includes at least six different types of filter segments.

17. The device of claim 14 , wherein the filter wheel includes at least 100 filter segments.

18. The device of claim 14 , further comprising a curtain shutter positioned between the array and the filter wheel,
wherein the curtain shutter is to block light from a subset of filter segments.

19. The device of claim 14 , wherein a filter segment of the filter segments includes subsegments positioned in a column along a length of the filter segment.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein each subsegment of the filter segment passes a different wavelength range from other subsegments of the filter segment.

Assignees

• Viavi Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Hruska Curtis R
• Houck William D

Classifications

• H04N23/12

  with one sensor only · CPC title

• H04N25/11 Primary

  Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics · CPC title

• H04N23/125 Primary

  Colour sequential image capture, e.g. using a colour wheel · CPC title

• H10F39/8053

  Colour filters · CPC title

• G01J3/06

  Scanning arrangements {arrangements for order-selection} · CPC title