Electronically focusable digital adaptive optics encoder module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12470840-B1
Application number	US-202418626414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 13, 2024
Priority date	May 13, 2024
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A digital adaptive optics encoder module includes a collection lens assembly, an input mounting flange, a collimating lens, a bandpass filter, digital adaptive optic elements, a refocusing lens, an output mounting flange, a housing, a focal plane array, a compute module, and a computing device. The collection lens assembly includes a moveable sub-lens and an entrance lens. The focal plane array measures, records, and transmits light data to a compute module. The compute module is connected to the focal plane array to receive the light data and transmit instructions to autofocus the collection lens assembly based on the light data and a storage device capable of sending and receiving the light data and storing the instructions. The computing device is capable of receiving and recording light data and images produced by the digital adaptive optics encoder module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A digital adaptive optics encoder module, comprising:
a collection lens assembly, wherein the collection lens assembly includes a moveable sub-lens and an entrance lens;
input mounting flange, wherein the input mounting flange is a mount capable of attaching the collection lens assembly;
collimating lens, wherein the collimating lens is capable of expanding light from a target to fill a plurality of primary apertures;
bandpass filter, wherein has a bandwidth ranging from about 40 nm to about 100 nm;
digital adaptive optic elements, wherein the digital adaptive optic elements include:
i) the plurality of primary apertures for receiving light from the target;
ii) an optical spreader for spreading apart the light passing through the primary apertures by at least a factor of two times a baseline separation of the primary apertures;
iii) a focusing optic for focusing the light from the optical spreader at the detector; and
iv) the detector for detecting an image of the target with the light from the focusing optic;

refocusing lens, wherein the refocusing lens is capable of refocusing an output from the digital adaptive optic elements onto a sensor plane;
output mounting flange, wherein the output mounting flange is a mount capable of attaching to a focal plane array;
a housing, wherein the housing encloses the collimating lens, the bandpass filter, the digital adaptic optic encoder elements, and the refocusing lens;
the focal plane array, wherein the focal plane array measures, records, and transmits light data to a compute module;
the compute module, wherein the computer module is connected to the focal plane array to receive the light data and transmit instructions to autofocus the collection lens assembly based on the light data and a storage device capable of sending and receiving the light data and storing the instructions; and
a computing device, wherein the computing device is capable of receiving and recording light data and processing the light data produced by the digital adaptive optics encoder module into an image.

2. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 1 , wherein the entrance lens includes an aperture in a center of the entrance lens and a dielectric mirror coating.

3. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 1 , wherein the focal plane array includes an optical tube that holds a dielectric mirror.

4. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 3 , wherein the focal plane array includes a spider frame that encloses the optical tube.

5. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 1 , further including secondary apertures in the digital adaptive optic elements wherein the optical spreader transposes the light into the secondary apertures and the focal plane array includes a spatial filter mask with a plurality of special filter mask apertures that match positions of secondary apertures.

6. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 1 , wherein the moveable sub-lens moves along threaded tracks linearly or rotationally via a motor controlled by the compute module.

7. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 1 , wherein the compute module is a sensor capable of transmitting the light data to the computing device.

8. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 7 , wherein the compute module is a field programmable gate array, an application-specific integrated circuit, a central processing unit, a sensor, or a combination thereof.

9. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 2 , wherein the entrance lens has a diameter larger than or equal to the overall diameter of the plurality of primary apertures in the digital adaptive optic elements.

10. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 1 further including a first relay lens and a second relay lens, wherein the first relay lens is located between the input mounting flange and the collimating lens and the second relay lens is located between the refocusing lens and the output mounting flange.

11. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 2 , wherein the first relay lens adjusts a scale of an input aperture size by demagnifying the target to fill the digital adaptive optic element aperture and the second relay lens matches or exceeds an input aperture diameter of the digital adaptive optics encoder module.

12. A digital adaptive optics encoder module, comprising:
a collection lens assembly, wherein the collection lens assembly includes a moveable sub-lens and an entrance lens;
input mounting flange, wherein the input mounting flange is a mount capable of attaching the collection lens assembly;
a first relay lens, wherein the first relay lens adjusts a scale of an input aperture size by demagnifying the target to fill the digital adaptive optic element aperture;
collimating lens, wherein the collimating lens is capable of expanding light from a target to fill a plurality of primary apertures;
bandpass filter, wherein has a bandwidth ranging from about 40 nm to about 100 nm;
digital adaptive optic elements, wherein the digital adaptive optic elements include:
i) the plurality of primary apertures for receiving light from the target;
ii) an optical spreader for spreading apart the light passing through the primary apertures by at least a factor of two times a baseline separation of the primary apertures;
iii) a focusing optic for focusing the light from the optical spreader at the detector; and
iv) the detector for detecting an image of the target with the light from the focusing optic;

refocusing lens, wherein the refocusing lens is capable of refocusing an output from the digital adaptive optic elements onto a sensor plane;
output mounting flange, wherein the output mounting flange is a mount capable of attaching to a focal plane array;
a second relay lens, wherein the second relay lens matches or exceeds an input aperture diameter of the digital adaptive optics encoder module;
a housing, wherein the housing encloses the collimating lens, the bandpass filter, the digital adaptic optic encoder elements, and the refocusing lens;
the focal plane array, wherein the focal plane array measures, records, and transmits light data to a compute module;
the compute module, wherein the computer module is connected to the focal plane array to receive the light data and transmit instructions to autofocus the collection lens assembly based on the light data and a storage device capable of sending and receiving the light data and storing the instructions; and
a computing device, wherein the computing device is capable of receiving and recording light data and processing the light data produced by the digital adaptive optics encoder module into an image.

13. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 12 , wherein the entrance lens includes an aperture in a center of the entrance lens and a dielectric mirror coating.

14. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 12 , wherein the focal plane array includes an optical tube that holds a dielectric mirror.

15. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 14 , wherein the focal plane array includes a spider frame that encloses the optical tube.

16. The digital adaptive optics encoder module of claim 12 , further including secondary apertures in the digital adaptive optic elements wherein the optical spreader transposes the light into the secondary apertures and the focal plane array includes a spatial filter mask with a plurality of special filter mask apertures that match positions of secondary apertures.

17. The di

Assignees

• Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific
• Us Navy

Inventors

• Drexler Kyle
• Laxton Benjamin
• Lilledahl Skylar
• Neuner Iii Burton H
• Perez Cuarenta Jesus Rodolfo

Classifications

• H04N23/95 Primary

  Computational photography systems, e.g. light-field imaging systems · CPC title

• G01D5/3473

  Circular or rotary encoders · CPC title