Ultra-thin digital imaging device of high resolution for mobile electronic devices and method of imaging
First Claim
1. An ultra-thin digital imaging device comprising:
- a multi-channel imaging unit that contains a plurality of optical channels formed by a plurality of lens objectives having a common image plane for reproducing a plurality of substantially identical individual shifted images produced by said plurality of optical channels. said ultra-thin digital imaging device having a thickness;
a pixilated imaging sensor unit having a pixilated image-receiving surface that has a diagonal and coincides with said common image plane and that is formed by a plurality of microsensors capable of converting said individual shifted images projected onto said common image plane into electrical signals;
a first data processing unit connected to said pixilated imaging sensor for receiving said electrical signals and for converting said electrical signals into data sets; and
a data storage unit for receiving said data sets from said data processing unit and for storing said data sets.
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Abstract
An ultra-thin digital imaging device has a thickness of several millimeters and is capable of producing data for creating images of 3 Mp and higher. The device comprises a multi-channel imaging unit that contains a plurality of optical channels formed by microlens objectives and a pixilated image sensor unit with a plurality of sensing elements. Each individual identical image obtained through each optical channel is pixilated and converted into electrical signals that are processed into data sets which can be stored in the imaging device and either reproduced on the display of the device or transmitted to an external image-reproducing device where the obtained data of individual images are transformed into a single, high-resolution megapixel image by means of a technique known in the art.
165 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An ultra-thin digital imaging device comprising:
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a multi-channel imaging unit that contains a plurality of optical channels formed by a plurality of lens objectives having a common image plane for reproducing a plurality of substantially identical individual shifted images produced by said plurality of optical channels. said ultra-thin digital imaging device having a thickness;
a pixilated imaging sensor unit having a pixilated image-receiving surface that has a diagonal and coincides with said common image plane and that is formed by a plurality of microsensors capable of converting said individual shifted images projected onto said common image plane into electrical signals;
a first data processing unit connected to said pixilated imaging sensor for receiving said electrical signals and for converting said electrical signals into data sets; and
a data storage unit for receiving said data sets from said data processing unit and for storing said data sets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of forming a high-resolution image of a remote object with the use of an ultra-thin imaging device comprising the steps of:
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providing an ultra-thin image-forming device capable of forming a plurality of substantially identical shifted images of said remote object and having a plurality of microsensors;
capturing said remote object by means of said ultra-thin image forming device and forming a plurality of substantially identical shifted images of said remote object;
converting said substantially identical shifted images into electrical signals;
converting said electrical signals into a plurality of substantially identical data sets which correspond to said substantially identical shifted images; and
converting said plurality of identical data sets into a single image of higher resolution by using a known algorithm. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification