Electromagnetic wave detection apparatus and information acquisition system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11874162-B2
Application number	US-201917052686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2019
Priority date	May 15, 2018
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

An electromagnetic wave detection apparatus 10 includes a first propagation unit 16, a second propagation unit 17, a first detector 19, and a second detector 20. The first propagation unit 16 propagates electromagnetic waves incident on a reference surface ss in a particular direction using each pixel px. The second propagation unit 17 includes a first surface s1, a second surface s2, a third surface s3, a fourth surface s4, a fifth surface s5, and a sixth surface s6. The first surface s1 propagates electromagnetic waves incident from a first direction in a second direction and propagates electromagnetic propagated in a third direction in a fourth direction. The second surface s2 separates electromagnetic waves propagated in the second direction d2 and propagate electromagnetic waves in a third direction d3 and a fifth direction d5. The first detector 19 detects electromagnetic waves emitted from the third surface s3. The second detector 20 detects electromagnetic waves emitted from the sixth surface s6.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electromagnetic wave detection apparatus comprising:
a first propagation unit comprising a plurality of pixels along a reference surface and configured to propagate electromagnetic waves incident on the reference surface in a particular direction at each of the pixels;
a second propagation unit including a first surface configured to propagate electromagnetic waves incident from a first direction in a second direction and propagate electromagnetic waves propagated in a third direction in a fourth direction, a second surface configured to separate electromagnetic waves propagated in the second direction and propagate the electromagnetic waves in the third direction and a fifth direction, a third surface configured to emit electromagnetic waves propagated in the fourth direction, a fourth surface configured to emit electromagnetic waves propagated in the fifth direction towards the reference surface and to propagate electromagnetic waves incident again from the reference surface in a sixth direction, a fifth surface configured to propagate electromagnetic waves propagated in the sixth direction in a seventh direction, and a sixth surface configured to emit electromagnetic waves propagated in the seventh direction;
a first detector configured to detect electromagnetic waves emitted from the third surface; and
a second detector configured to detect electromagnetic waves emitted from the sixth surface.

2. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a first imaging unit configured to form an image from the electromagnetic waves incident from the first direction and propagate the image towards the first surface.

3. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first imaging unit is configured to form the image on a detection surface of a first detector via the second surface.

4. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a second imaging unit configured to form an image from the electromagnetic waves emitted from the sixth surface and propagate the image towards the second detector.

5. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first surface is configured to transmit or refract the electromagnetic waves incident from the first direction and propagate the electromagnetic waves in the second direction.

6. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a first surface is configured to subject the electromagnetic waves propagated in the third direction to internal reflection and propagate the electromagnetic waves in the fourth direction.

7. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein among the electromagnetic waves propagated in the second direction, the second surface is configured to propagate electromagnetic waves of a particular wavelength in the third direction and to propagate electromagnetic waves of other wavelengths in the fifth direction.

8. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a fourth surface is configured to transmit or refract the electromagnetic waves incident again from the reference surface in the sixth direction.

9. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a fifth surface is configured to subject the electromagnetic waves propagated in the sixth direction to internal reflection and propagate the electromagnetic waves in the seventh direction.

10. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second propagation unit comprises a first prism, a second prism, and a first intermediate layer,
the first intermediate layer is disposed between the first prism and the second prism and comprises the second surface along an interface with the first prism,
a first surface comprises a surface on the first prism,
a third surface comprises a different surface than the surface on the first prism,
a fourth surface comprises a surface on the second prism,
a fifth surface comprises an interface between the first intermediate layer and the second prism, and
a sixth surface comprises a different surface than the surface on the second prism.

11. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second propagation unit comprises a first prism, a second prism, a third prism, and a first intermediate layer,
the first intermediate layer is disposed between the first prism and the third prism and comprises the second surface along an interface with the first prism,
the third prism is disposed between the first intermediate layer and the second prism,
the first surface comprises a surface on the first prism,
the third surface comprises a different surface than the surface on the first prism,
the fourth surface comprises a surface on the second prism,
the fifth comprises an interface between the second prism and the third prism, and
the sixth surface comprises a different surface than the surface on the second prism.

12. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second propagation unit comprises a first prism, a second prism, a first intermediate layer, and a second intermediate layer,
the first intermediate layer is disposed between the first prism and the second intermediate layer and comprises the second surface along an interface with the first prism,
the second intermediate layer is disposed between the first intermediate layer and the second prism,
the first surface comprises a surface on the first prism,
the third surface comprises a different surface than the surface on the first prism,
the fourth surface comprises a surface on the second prism,
the fifth surface comprises an interface between the second intermediate layer and the second prism, and
the sixth surface comprises a different surface than the surface on the second prism.

13. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first propagation unit is configured to switch each pixel between a first reflection state of reflecting electromagnetic waves incident on the reference surface in a first direction and a second reflection state of reflecting the electromagnetic waves in a direction different than the first direction.

14. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a scanner configured to scan using electromagnetic waves emitted from a radiation unit,
wherein each of a first detector and a second detector comprises an active sensor configured to detect reflected waves of electromagnetic waves radiated to an object by a radiation unit from the object or a passive sensor.

15. The electromagnetic wave detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a controller configured to acquire information related to surroundings based on electromagnetic waves detection result from the first detector and the second detector.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Takeuchi Eri

Classifications

• G01J1/0477 Primary

  Prisms, wedges · CPC title

• G01J1/0403

  Mechanical elements; Supports for optical elements; Scanning arrangements · CPC title

• G01J1/044

  using shutters · CPC title

• G01J1/0414

  using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or plane beam-splitters · CPC title

• G01J5/48

  Thermography; Techniques using wholly visual means · CPC title