Fourier domain camera

• US 20060056729A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Myhrvold, Nathan P., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Hillis, W. Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/941,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20060056729A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/280
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/46 Systems using spatial filters
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/16 using Fourier transform G03H1/10, G03H1/12, G03H1/14 take precedence; analogue computers G06G, e.g. G06G7/19
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/045 Fourier or lensless Fourier arrangement

Abstract

A method of capturing an image of a target including positioning an optical system to direct a spatial Fourier transform of a region of the target onto a field of view of a detector array; generating an electrical signal with the detector array, the electrical signal representing at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform; generating a digital representation of the at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform from the electrical signal; and transforming the digital representation of the at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform to produce a digital representation of the region of the target. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present application. Other methods and apparatuses are also disclosed.

Claims

13. An apparatus for obtaining an image of a target, comprising:

means for producing a spatial Fourier transform of a region of the target;

means for detecting the spatial Fourier transform;

means for directing the spatial Fourier transform into a purview of the means for detecting the spatial Fourier transform;

means for generating an electrical signal from the detected spatial Fourier transform, the electrical signal corresponding to at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform;

means for obtaining a digital representation of the spatial Fourier transform from the electrical signal; and

means for transforming the digital representation of the spatial Fourier transform into a digital representation of the region of the target.

14. A camera comprising:

a detector array that produces an electrical signal corresponding to at least a portion of light incident on the detector array;

a conversion circuit that converts the electrical signal to digital data;

an optical system aligned to direct the light to a field of view of the detector array, the optical system and detector array being relatively positioned to produce a spatial Fourier transform of an image field of the detector array; and

a signal processor operably couplable to the conversion circuit to receive the digital data, the signal processor including a program that performs an inverse Fourier transform on the digital data to produce a real space representation of the image field.

1. A method of capturing an image of a target, comprising:

positioning an optical system to direct a spatial Fourier transform of a region of the target onto a field of view of a detector array;

generating an electrical signal with the detector array, the electrical signal representing at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform;

generating a digital representation of the at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform from the electrical signal; and

transforming the digital representation of the at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform to produce a digital representation of the region of the target.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal represents a substantial portion of the spatial Fourier transform of the region.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical system includes a lens.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the lens is a refractive lens.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the lens is a Fresnel lens.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical system includes a diffractive system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the detector array includes a charge-coupled device array.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the detector array includes a complementary metal oxide semiconductor array.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the transforming includes computing an inverse Fourier transform.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the transforming is performed with a computer.

11. The method of claim 10 further including transmitting the digital representation of the spatial Fourier transform to the computer.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the transmitting the digital representation of the spatial Fourier transform to the computer is performed wirelessly.

15. The camera of claim 14 wherein the signal processor includes a microprocessor.

16. The camera of claim 14 further including a camera body, wherein the signal processor is carried by the camera body.

18. The camera of claim 14 wherein the electrical signal corresponds to a substantial portion of the light incident on the detector array.

19. The camera of claim 14 wherein the optical system includes a lens.

20. The camera of claim 19 wherein the lens is a refractive lens.

21. The camera of claim 19 wherein the lens is a Fresnel lens.

22. The camera of claim 14 wherein the optical system includes a diffractive system.

23. The camera of claim 14 wherein the detector array includes a charge-coupled array.

24. The camera of claim 14 wherein the detector array includes a complementary metal oxide semiconductor array.

16-1. The camera of claim 14 wherein the signal processor and the detector array are wirelessly coupled.

25. A system of capturing an image of a target, comprising:

a positioning electromechanical system configurable to position an optical system to direct a spatial Fourier transform of a region of the target onto a field of view of a detector array;

circuitry for generating an electrical signal with the detector array, the electrical signal representing at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform;

circuitry for generating a digital representation of the at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform from the electrical signal; and

circuitry for transforming the digital representation of the at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform to produce a digital representation of the region of the target.

26. A system comprising:

means for positioning an optical system to direct a spatial Fourier transform of a region of a target onto a field of view of a detector array;

means for generating an electrical signal with the detector array, the electrical signal representing at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform;

means for generating a digital representation of the at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform from the electrical signal; and

means for transforming the digital representation of the at least a portion of the spatial Fourier transform to produce a digital representation of the region of the target.