Single-aperture multi-sensor lensless compressive image acquisition

• US 10,462,377 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ahn, Jong-Hoon, Jiang, Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniels, Anthony J
• Application Number:
  US15/224,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20180035036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 348340
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2207/129 Coded aperture imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 41/00 Special techniques not covered by groups G03B31/00 - G03B39/00; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/003 setting of both shutter and diaphragm G03B7/02 - G03B7/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/702 SSIS architectures characterised by non-identical, non-equidistant or non-planar pixel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array

Abstract

The present disclosure generally discloses single-aperture multi-sensor lensless compressive image acquisition capabilities. The present disclosure generally discloses a single-aperture multi-sensor lensless camera including a programmable aperture and a set of sensors. The programmable aperture is configured to modulate an amount of light permitted to pass through the programmable aperture and has a shape defined based on a set of vertices of the programmable aperture. The sensors are arranged, with respect to each other, based on the vertices of the programmable aperture. The sensors may be arranged such that respective reference lines, between the respective vertices of the programmable aperture and the respective sensors, are parallel or substantially parallel.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a programmable aperture configured to modulate passage of light therethrough, the programmable aperture having a shape defined based on a set of vertices; and

a set of sensors disposed at a distance from the programmable aperture, each of the sensors configured to detect light passing through the programmable aperture;

wherein the sensors are arranged with respect to each other, based on the vertices of the programmable aperture, such that a first line between a given first sensor of the set of sensors and a first vertex of the set of vertices and a second line between a given second sensor of the set of sensors and a second vertex of the set of vertices are parallel or substantially parallel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the programmable aperture is configured to modulate an amount of light permitted to pass therethrough and a pattern of light permitted to pass therethrough.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the programmable aperture comprises an array of programmable elements configured to be individually controlled to permit light to pass therethrough or to prevent light from passing therethrough.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the programmable elements are configured to be individually controlled based on light modulation pattern information.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shape defined based on the vertices of the programmable aperture is a square, a rectangle, a rhombus, or a parallelogram.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the programmable aperture comprises a transparent liquid crystal display (LCD) device or a transparent liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensors are arranged on a surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the surface comprises a spherical surface, a cylindrical surface, or a planar surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensors have a non-uniform arrangement.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the sensors has a respective sensor view associated therewith, wherein overlap between adjacent ones of the sensor views is negligible at a distance.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, for at least one of the sensors, the at least one sensor comprises a respective photon detector configured to detect light and the at least one sensor is configured to produce a detector output based on the light.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, for at least one of the sensors, the at least one sensor comprises:

a photon detector configured to detect light and to produce a detector output based on the light; and

an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter configured to produce a compressive measurement based on the detector output.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the processor, the processor configured to;

receive, from each of the sensors, a detector output produced by the respective sensor;

process the respective detector outputs to produce respective compressive measurements; and

store the compressive measurements in the memory.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the processor, the processor configured to;

receive, from each of the sensors, a respective compressive measurement produced by the respective sensor; and

store the compressive measurements in the memory.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the processor, the processor configured to;

obtain, for each of the sensors, a respective compressive measurement produced based on the respective sensor; and

generate, based on processing of the respective compressive measurements, an image.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a set of sensors disposed at a distance from a programmable aperture having a shape defined based on a set of vertices and configured to control incidence of light on the sensors, each of the sensors configured to detect light passing through the programmable aperture;

wherein the sensors are arranged with respect to each other, based on the vertices of the programmable aperture, such that a first line between a given first sensor of the set of sensors and a first vertex of the set of vertices and a second line between a given second sensor of the set of sensors and a second vertex of the set of vertices are parallel or substantially parallel.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a programmable aperture configured to modulate passage of light therethrough, the programmable aperture having a shape defined based on a set of vertices;

a set of sensors disposed at a distance from the programmable aperture, each of the sensors configured to detect light passing through the programmable aperture, wherein the sensors are arranged with respect to each other, based on the vertices of the programmable aperture, such that a first line between a given first sensor of the set of sensors and a first vertex of the set of vertices and a second line between a given second sensor of the set of sensors and a second vertex of the set of vertices are parallel or substantially parallel; and

a processor configured to receive image data produced by the sensors and to generate an image based on the image data.