Detection of light for ascertaining color information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9521387-B2
Application number	US-201314409954-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2013
Priority date	Jun 20, 2012
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A sensor is provided for detecting light, including an imager which includes a first imaging element and a second imaging element situated adjacent to the first imaging element, and including an optical element which is designed for directing a first component of light incident in the direction of the first imaging element onto the second imaging element, and for allowing a second component of the light incident in the direction of the first imaging element to strike the first imaging element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor for detecting light, comprising:
an imager having a first imaging element and a second imaging element situated adjacent to the first imaging element; and
an optical element for directing a first component of light incident in a direction of the first imaging element onto the second imaging element, and for allowing a second component of the light incident in the direction of the first imaging element to strike the first imaging element, wherein:
the first component of light has a first frequency,
the second component of light has a second frequency that is different than the first frequency, and
the optical element includes one of a diffuser and a defocusing device that expands at least one of the first component and the second component.

2. The sensor as recited in claim 1 , wherein the optical element removes frequency components of the light which are above a threshold.

3. The sensor as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the second imaging element is sensitive to a first color and is not sensitive to a second color, and
the first imaging element is sensitive to the second color.

4. The sensor as recited in claim 1 , wherein the optical element includes a diffraction structure, situated at a distance from the first and second imaging elements, for diffracting the first component of the light, incident in the direction of the first imaging element, in a direction of the second imaging element.

5. The sensor as recited in claim 4 , wherein the diffraction structure of the optical element has one of a lattice structure, a linear structure, and a point structure.

6. The sensor as recited in claim 4 , wherein:
the first imaging element and the second imaging element have the same color sensitivity, and
the diffraction structure is a color filter.

7. The sensor as recited in claim 1 , wherein the imager is a semiconductor element.

8. A method for detecting light, comprising:
directing a first component of light incident in a direction of a first imaging element onto a second imaging element, the first imaging element being situated adjacent to the second imaging element on an imager;
allowing a second component of the light incident in the direction of the first imaging element to strike the first imaging element;
detecting the first component via the second imaging element; and
detecting the second component via the first imaging element, wherein:
the first component of light has a first frequency,
the second component of light has a second frequency that is different than the first frequency, and
at least one of the first component and the second component is expanded via one of a diffuser and a defocusing device.

9. A method for ascertaining a color information of light detected by a sensor by directing a first component of light incident in a direction of a first imaging element onto a second imaging element, the first imaging element being situated adjacent to the second imaging element on an imager; allowing a second component of the light incident in the direction of the first imaging element to strike the first imaging element; detecting the first component via the second imaging element; and detecting the second component via the first imaging element, the method for ascertaining the color information comprising:
comparing an intensity value of a first image signal of the first imaging element to an intensity value of a second image signal of the second imaging element in order to ascertain the color information, wherein:
the first component of light has a first frequency,
the second component of light has a second frequency that is different than the first frequency, and
at least one of the first component and the second component is expanded via one of a diffuser and a defocusing device.

10. A device for ascertaining a color information of light detected by a sensor by directing a first component of light incident in a direction of a first imaging element onto a second imaging element, the first imaging element being situated adjacent to the second imaging element on an imager; allowing a second component of the light incident in the direction of the first imaging element to strike the first imaging element; detecting the first component via the second imaging element; and detecting the second component via the first imaging element, the device comprising:
an arrangement for comparing an intensity value of a first image signal of the first imaging element to an intensity value of a second image signal of the second imaging element in order to ascertain the color information, wherein:
the first component of light has a first frequency,
the second component of light has a second frequency that is different than the first frequency, and
at least one of the first component and the second component is expanded via one of a diffuser and a defocusing device.

11. A sensor for detecting light, comprising:
an imager having a first imaging element and a second imaging element situated adjacent to the first imaging element; and
an optical element for directing a first component of light incident in a direction of the first imaging element onto the second imaging element, and for allowing a second component of the light incident in the direction of the first imaging element to strike the first imaging element, wherein:
the second imaging element is sensitive to a first color and is not sensitive to a second color,
the first imaging element is sensitive to the second color,
the optical element directs the first component, corresponding to the first color, of the light incident in the direction of the first imaging element onto the second imaging element,
the optical element allows the second component, corresponding to the first color, of the light incident in the direction of the first imaging element to strike the first imaging element, and
the optical element allows a third light component, corresponding to the second color, of the light incident in the direction of the first imaging element to fall completely on the first imaging element.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Foltin Johannes
• Sepp Wolfgang

Classifications

• H04N9/7904 Primary

  using intermediate digital signal processing · CPC title

• G01J1/0488 Primary

  with spectral filtering · CPC title

• G06V10/147

  Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses (fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19) · CPC title

• G06V10/143

  Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths · CPC title

• G01J1/4228

  arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation · CPC title