Imaging apparatus with cylindrical lenses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11747641-B2
Application number	US-202217729519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2022
Priority date	Jun 17, 2015
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

The cost and power consumption of an imaging apparatus are reduced by facilitating detection of an incident angle of a light beam transmitted through a grating substrate. An image sensor converts an optical image captured by pixels arranged on an imaging surface and outputs the converted image signal. A modulator is configured to modulate intensity of light; and an image processing circuit performs image processing of the output image signal. The modulator has a grating substrate, a grating pattern formed on a back surface side of the grating substrate arranged in proximity to the light receiving surface of the image sensor; and a grating pattern formed on a front surface facing the back surface. Each of the grating patterns is constituted of a plurality of concentric circles. The modulator performs intensity modulation on the light transmitted through the grating pattern and outputs the modulated light to the image sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A imaging apparatus comprising:
an image sensor configured to convert light received by a plurality of pixels arranged in an array on a light receiving surface into an electrical signal and output the electrical signal;
an optical element arranged on a side closer to the light receiving surface of the image sensor and being configured to transmit the light; and
an image processing circuitry configured to perform image processing of the electrical signal output from the image sensor,
wherein a plurality of concentric cylindrical lenses are formed on one surface of the optical element, and each lens of the plurality of concentric cylindrical lenses is formed with a cylindrical surface, and each lens has a curvature of a convex lens in the vertical direction of the optical element and no curvature in the horizontal direction of the optical element, and the plurality of concentric cylindrical lenses are configured to concentrate incident light,
wherein the image sensor receives the light concentrated by the cylindrical lenses and outputs an image signal that includes an image gathered cylindrically, and
wherein the image processing circuitry is configured to:
input the image signal that includes the image gathered cylindrically output from the image sensor,
generate a moire fringe image when the image gathered cylindrically included in the image signal combines with another concentric image, and
perform processing including a two-dimensional Fourier transform on the moire fringe image, and generate an image.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a pitch of the concentric cylindrical lenses becomes narrower in a direction from a center of the concentric cylindrical lenses toward an outer side.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a pattern of the another concentric image becomes narrower in a direction from a center of the another concentric image toward an outer side.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a pattern of the another cylindrical image enlarges or reduces a size of a concentric pattern.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a pattern of the another cylindrical image enlarges or reduces a size of a concentric pattern to focus.

Assignees

• Maxell Ltd

Inventors

• Shimano Takeshi

Classifications

• G02B27/4205 Primary

  having a diffractive optical element [DOE] contributing to image formation, e.g. whereby modulation transfer function MTF or optical aberrations are relevant · CPC title

• G02B5/1823

  in an overlapping or superposed manner · CPC title

• G02B27/4272

  having plural diffractive elements positioned sequentially along the optical path · CPC title

• G03B15/00

  Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• G03B41/00

  Special techniques not covered by groups G03B31/00 - G03B39/00; Apparatus therefor · CPC title