Optical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11698478-B2
Application number	US-202117197814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2021
Priority date	Mar 10, 2021
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

An optical device may include a plurality of sensor elements and a plurality of optical channels. The plurality of sensor elements may include a first set of sensor elements associated with a first wavelength range and a second set of sensor elements associated with a second wavelength range. The plurality of optical channels may include a first set of optical channels associated with the first wavelength range and a second set of optical channels associated with the second wavelength range. A first optical channel, of the first set of optical channels, may be disposed over a first sensor element, of the first set of sensor elements, and a second optical channel, of the second set of optical channels, may be disposed over a second sensor element, of the second set of sensor elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical filter comprising:
a first row including only a first set of optical channels associated with a first wavelength range; and
a second row including only a second set of optical channels associated with a second wavelength range,
wherein:
a first optical channel, of the first set of optical channels, is configured to pass light associated with a subrange of the first wavelength range to a first sensor element of an optical sensor that is configured to detect light associated with the first wavelength range, and
a second optical channel, of the second set of optical channels, is configured to pass light associated with a subrange of the second wavelength range to a second sensor element of the optical sensor that is configured to detect light associated with the second wavelength range.

2. The optical filter of claim 1 , wherein:
the first optical channel comprises at least one layer that is configured to:
pass light associated with the subrange of the first wavelength range; or
block light associated with a different subrange of the first wavelength range.

3. The optical filter of claim 1 , wherein:
the first optical channel comprises a first set of layers;
the second optical channel comprises a second set of layers; and
a number of layers of the first set of layers is different than a number of layers of the second set of layers.

4. The optical filter of claim 1 , wherein a composition of the first optical channel is different than a composition of the second optical channel.

5. An optical device comprising:
a plurality of sensor elements that includes a first set of sensor elements associated with a first wavelength range and a second set of sensor elements associated with a second wavelength range; and
a plurality of optical channels disposed over the plurality of sensor elements, wherein:
the plurality of optical channels includes:
a first row including only a first set of optical channels associated with the first wavelength range, and
a second row including only a second set of optical channels associated with the second wavelength range,

a first optical channel, of the first set of optical channels, is disposed over at least one first sensor element, of the first set of sensor elements, and
a second optical channel, of the second set of optical channels, is disposed over at least one second sensor element, of the second set of sensor elements.

6. The optical device of claim 5 , wherein:
the at least one first sensor element is configured to detect light associated with the first wavelength range; and
the first optical channel is configured to pass light associated with a subrange of the first wavelength range to the at least one first sensor element.

7. The optical device of claim 5 , wherein:
the first optical channel is configured to pass light associated with a subrange of the first wavelength range to the at least one first sensor element; and
the second optical channel is configured to pass light associated with a subrange of the second wavelength range to the at least one second sensor element.

8. The optical device of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of optical channels are directly disposed on the plurality of sensor elements.

9. The optical device of claim 5 ,
wherein each of the first set of optical channels is disposed over at least one corresponding sensor element of the first set of sensor elements, and
wherein each of the second set of optical channels is disposed over at least one corresponding sensor element of the second set of sensor elements.

10. The optical device of claim 5 ,
wherein the first set of sensor elements are arranged in a uniform row,
wherein the uniform row corresponds to the first row, and
wherein each of the first set of optical channels is disposed over at least one corresponding sensor element of the first set of sensor elements.

11. The optical device of claim 5 ,
wherein the second set of sensor elements are arranged in a uniform row,
wherein the uniform row corresponds to the second row, and
wherein each of the second set of optical channels is disposed over at least one corresponding sensor element of the second set of sensor elements.

12. The optical device of claim 5 , wherein:
the plurality of optical channels are disposed on the plurality of sensor elements via one or more adhesive layers.

13. An optical system comprising:
an optical sensor that includes a first set of sensor elements configured to detect light associated with a first wavelength range and a second set of sensor elements configured to detect light associated with a second wavelength range; and
an optical filter that includes:
a first row including only a first set of optical channels associated with the first wavelength range, and
a second row including only a second set of optical channels associated with the second wavelength range,
wherein:
a first optical channel, of the first set of optical channels, is disposed over a first sensor element, of the first set of sensor elements, and
a second optical channel, of the second set of optical channels, is disposed over a second sensor element, of the second set of sensor elements.

14. The optical system of claim 13 ,
wherein the first set of optical channels is disposed over the first set of sensor elements, and
wherein the second set of optical channels is disposed over the second set of sensor elements.

15. The optical system of claim 13 , wherein the first set of sensor elements are arranged in a uniform row, and
wherein the first set of optical channels is disposed over the first set of sensor elements.

16. The optical system of claim 13 , wherein the second set of optical channels are arranged in a uniform row, and
wherein the second set of optical channels is disposed over the second set of sensor elements.

17. The optical system of claim 13 , further comprising a mount that is configured to hold the optical filter over the optical sensor.

18. The optical system of claim 17 , wherein the mount is further configured to separate the optical filter and the optical sensor by a free space gap.

19. The optical system of claim 13 , wherein the first optical channel is configured to pass light associated with a subrange of the first wavelength range to the first sensor element.

20. The optical system of claim 13 , wherein the second optical channel is configured to pass light associated with a subrange of the second wavelength range to the second sensor element.

Assignees

• Viavi Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Smith Valton
• Klimek Michael
• Hruska Curtis R

Classifications

• G02B7/006

  Filter holders · CPC title

• G01J3/51

  using colour filters · CPC title

• G02B5/201 Primary

  in the form of arrays · CPC title

• G02B6/4298 Primary

  coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers · CPC title

• G01J3/2803 Primary

  using photoelectric array detector · CPC title