Optical sensor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11714003-B2
Application number	US-202217585904-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2022
Priority date	Feb 3, 2020
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

An optical sensor device may comprise an optical sensor comprising a set of sensor elements; an optical filter comprising one or more channels, wherein each channel, of the one or more channels, is configured to pass light associated with particular wavelengths to a subset of sensor elements, of the set of sensor elements, of the optical sensor; a phase mask configured to distribute a plurality of light beams associated with a subject in an encoded pattern on an input surface of the optical filter; and one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to obtain, from the optical sensor, sensor data associated with the subject and determine, based on the sensor data, spectral information associated with the subject. The one or more processors may determine, based on the sensor data and information associated with the encoded pattern, spatial information associated with the subject.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical sensor device, comprising:
an optical filter with an angle-dependent wavelength characteristic comprising one or more channels,
wherein the one or more channels comprise a channel configured to pass light associated with one or more particular wavelengths to one or more sensor elements based on an angle of incidence of the light on the channel; and

a phase mask configured to distribute a plurality of light beams associated with a subject in an encoded pattern on an input surface of the optical filter.

2. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more particular wavelengths include wavelengths in multiple different wavelength ranges.

3. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the phase mask is disposed on a first surface of a substrate and the optical filter is disposed on a second surface of the substrate to form a combined optical element.

4. The optical sensor device of claim 3 , wherein the combined optical element is disposed over the one or more sensor elements.

5. The optical sensor device of claim 3 , wherein a thickness of the substrate is configured to cause the phase mask to distribute the plurality of light beams in the encoded pattern across the input surface of the optical filter.

6. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the phase mask includes one or more transparent mask elements and one or more opaque mask elements.

7. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the phase mask includes a plurality of mask elements arranged in a grid pattern.

8. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the encoded pattern may indicate angular direction information associated with an origin plane associated with the subject.

9. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical sensor comprising an array of sensor elements that includes the one or more sensor elements.

10. The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensor elements comprise a sensor element configured to provide an indication of intensity of the light that is incident on the sensor element.

11. A combined optical element comprising:
a substrate;
a phase mask disposed on a first surface of the substrate; and
an optical filter disposed on a second surface of the substrate,
wherein the optical filter comprises a channel configured to pass light to one or more sensor elements based on an angle of incidence of the light on the channel, and
wherein the phase mask is configured to distribute a plurality of light beams in an encoded pattern across an input surface of the optical filter.

12. The combined optical element of claim 11 , wherein the substrate comprises a thickness that is a distance between the phase mask and the optical filter.

13. The combined optical element of claim 12 , wherein the thickness is configured to cause the phase mask to distribute the plurality of light beams in the encoded pattern.

14. The combined optical element of claim 11 , wherein, when distributing the plurality of light beams, the phase mask is configured to distribute the plurality of light beams in the encoded pattern across 95% of the input surface of the optical filter.

15. The combined optical element of claim 11 , wherein the combined optical element is disposed over an optical sensor that includes the one or more sensor elements.

16. A device, comprising:
an optical filter comprising a channel configured to pass light associated with a particular wavelength range when the light falls incident on the channel within a particular incident angle range; and
a phase mask configured to distribute a plurality of light beams in an encoded pattern on an input surface of the optical filter.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the channel is further configured to pass different light associated with a different wavelength range when the different light falls incident on the channel within a different incident angle range.

18. The device of claim 16 ,
wherein the channel is configured to pass the light associated with the particular wavelength range to a first set of sensor elements, and
wherein the optical filter further comprises a different channel configured to pass different light associated with a different wavelength range to a second set of sensor elements.

19. The device of claim 16 , wherein the phase mask includes one or more transparent mask elements and one or more opaque mask elements.

20. The device of claim 16 , wherein the phase mask includes a plurality of mask elements arranged in a grid pattern.

Assignees

• Viavi Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Houck William D
• Smith Valton

Classifications

• H04N23/955

  for lensless imaging · CPC title

• G01J3/28 Primary

  Investigating the spectrum (using colour filters G01J3/51) · CPC title

• G01J3/0229 Primary

  using masks, aperture plates, spatial light modulators or spatial filters, e.g. reflective filters · CPC title

• G01J3/12 Primary

  Generating the spectrum; Monochromators · CPC title

• G01J3/2823 Primary

  Imaging spectrometer · CPC title