Optical sensor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12050129-B2
Application number	US-202318343015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2023
Priority date	Feb 3, 2020
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

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. 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,
a thickness of the substrate being a distance between the phase mask and the optical filter, and
the thickness of the substrate being configured to cause the phase mask to distribute one or more light beams in an encoded pattern across an input surface of the optical filter.

2. The combined optical element of claim 1 , wherein the optical filter is an optical interference filter.

3. The combined optical element of claim 1 , wherein the optical filter includes a spectral filter or a multispectral filter.

4. The combined optical element of claim 1 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are on opposite sides of the substrate.

5. The combined optical element of claim 1 , wherein the one or more light beams comprise a plurality of light beams.

6. The combined optical element of claim 1 , wherein across the input surface of the optical filter is across more than 95% of the input surface of the optical filter.

7. The combined optical element of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the substrate is smaller than a total thickness of a substrate of a single phase mask and a substrate of a single optical filter.

8. A device, comprising:
a combined optical element including:
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 a thickness of the substrate is configured to cause the phase mask to distribute one or more light beams in an encoded pattern across an input surface of the optical filter; and

one or more other components.

9. The device of claim 8 ,
wherein the one or more other components include an optical sensor, and
wherein the combined optical element is disposed on the optical sensor.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more other components include one or more of:
one or more processors,
a spectrometer device configured to perform spectroscopy, or
a spectral imaging camera.

11. The device of claim 8 ,
wherein the device is a user device,
wherein the user device includes an optical sensor device, and
wherein the optical sensor device includes the combined optical element and the one or more other components.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the user device is a wearable spectrometer.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the substrate is a distance between the phase mask and the optical filter.

14. An 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 a thickness of the substrate is configured to cause the phase mask to distribute one or more light beams in an encoded pattern across an input surface of the optical filter.

15. The element of claim 14 , wherein the thickness of the substrate is a distance between the phase mask and the optical filter.

16. The element of claim 14 , wherein the optical filter is an interference filter.

17. The element of claim 14 , wherein the second surface of the substrate is an opposite surface of the substrate relative to the first surface of the substrate.

18. The element of claim 14 , wherein the thickness of the substrate is smaller than a total thickness of a substrate of a single phase mask and a substrate of a single optical filter.

19. The element of claim 14 , wherein the one or more light beams include a plurality of light beams.

20. The element of claim 14 , wherein the thickness of the substrate is configured to cause the phase mask to distribute the one or more light beams in the encoded pattern across more than 98% of the input surface of the optical filter.

Assignees

• Viavi Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Houck William D
• Smith Valton

Classifications

• G01J3/0229 Primary

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

• H04N25/13

  characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• G01J2003/1239

  and separate detectors · CPC title

• G01J2003/1204

  Grating and filter · CPC title