Array camera architecture implementing quantum dot color filters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9497370-B2
Application number	US-201414441503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention utilize array cameras incorporating quantum dot color filters. One embodiment includes: lens elements formed on substrates separated by spacers, where the lens elements, substrates and spacers form a plurality of optical channels; at least one aperture located within each optical channel; at least one spectral filter located within each optical channel, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light; and at least one quantum dot color filter located within each optical channel to receive the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter is configured to emit a spectral band of light having a bandwidth that is narrower than the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lens stack array, comprising:
lens elements formed on substrates separated by spacers, where the lens elements, substrates and spacers are configured to form a plurality of optical channels;
wherein at least one optical channel includes:
at least one aperture;
at least one spectral filter, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light;
at least one quantum dot color filter positioned to receive the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter shifts each incoming photon passed by the at least one spectral filter to a specific narrow band of output wavelengths;
at least a first optical channel includes at least one spectral filter configured to pass a first spectral band of light;
at least a second optical channel includes at least one spectral filter configured to pass a second spectral band of light; and
at least one quantum dot color filter is located within each of the first and second optical channels and is positioned to receive a specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within each optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter in each optical channel is configured to emit a spectral band of light that is within the same spectral band in response to incident light passed by the different spectral filters in each optical channel.

2. The lens stack array of claim 1 , wherein the at least one quantum dot color filter is as formed from colloidal quantum dots.

3. The lens stack array of claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical channel comprises a plurality of optical channels including spectral filters that form separate spectral channels within the plurality of optical channels for each of the plurality of primary colors.

4. The lens stack array of claim 1 , wherein the at least one quantum dot color filter is configured to emit a spectral band of light having a bandwidth that is narrower than the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter.

5. The lens stack array of claim 4 , wherein the spectral band of light that has a bandwidth that is narrower than the specific spectral band of light is a spectral band that is not contained within the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter.

6. A lens stack array, comprising:
lens elements formed on substrates separated by spacers, where the lens elements, substrates and spacers are configured to form a plurality of optical channels;
wherein at least one optical channel includes:
at least one aperture;
at least one spectral filter, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light;

at least one quantum dot color filter positioned to receive the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter shifts each incoming photon passed by the at least one spectral filter to a specific narrow band of output wavelengths;
wherein the at least one spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of ultraviolet light; and
the at least one quantum dot color filter is positioned to receive the specific spectral band of ultraviolet light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter is configured to emit a spectral band of visible light in response to incident ultraviolet light passed by the at least one spectral filter.

7. A lens stack array, comprising:
lens elements formed on substrates separated by spacers, where the lens elements, substrates and spacers are configured to form a plurality of optical channels;
wherein at least one optical channel includes:
at least one aperture;
at least one spectral filter, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light;

at least one quantum dot color filter positioned to receive the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter shifts each incoming photon passed by the at least one spectral filter to a specific narrow band of output wavelengths;
wherein the at least one optical channel includes at least one lens element positioned above the at least one quantum dot color filter that is optimized for the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter; and
wherein the at least one optical channel includes at least one lens element positioned below the at least one quantum dot color filter that is optimized for the narrow band of output wavelengths passed by the quantum dot color filter.

8. An array camera module comprising:
an imager array including:
a plurality of focal planes, where each focal plane comprises a plurality of rows of pixels that also form a plurality of columns of pixels and each focal plane is contained within a region of the imager array that does not contain pixels from another focal plane;
control circuitry configured to control the capture of image information by the pixels within the focal planes; and
sampling circuitry configured to convert pixel outputs into digital pixel data; and

an optic array of lens stacks aligned with respect to the imager array so that an image is formed on each focal plane by a separate lens stack in said optic array of lens stacks, wherein at least one lens stack comprises:
at least one lens element;
at least one aperture;
at least one spectral filter, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light;
at least one quantum dot color filter positioned to receive the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within the optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter shifts each incoming photon passed by the at least one spectral filter to a specific narrow band of output wavelengths;
at least a first optical channel includes at least one spectral filter configured to pass a first spectral band of light;
at least a second optical channel includes at least one spectral filter configured to pass a second spectral band of light; and
at least one quantum dot color filter is located within each of the first and second optical channels and is positioned to receive a specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter located within each optical channel, where the at least one quantum dot color filter in each optical channel is configured to emit a spectral band of light that is within the same spectral band in response to incident light passed by the different spectral filters in each optical channel.

9. The array camera module of claim 8 , wherein the at least one quantum dot color filter is as formed from colloidal quantum dots.

10. The array camera module of claim 8 , wherein the at least one optical channel comprises a plurality of optical channels including spectral filters that form separate spectral channels within the plurality of optical channels for each of the plurality of primary colors.

11. The array camera module of claim 8 , wherein the at least one quantum dot color filter is configured to emit a spectral band of light having a bandwidth that is narrower than the specific spectral band of light passed by the at least one spectral filter.

12. The array camera module of claim 11 , wherein the spectral band of light that has a bandwidth that is narrower than the specific spectral band of light is a spect

Assignees

• Pelican Imaging Corp

Inventors

• Venkataraman Kartik
• Duparre Jacques
• Mullis Robert

Classifications

• G02B13/003 Primary

  having two lenses · CPC title

• H04N23/957

  Light-field or plenoptic cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H04N25/6153

  for colour signals · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N23/57 Primary

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title