Imaging method, apparatus and system having extended depth of field
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
- a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels;
a first lens array comprising a plurality of first lenses over the pixel array; and
a second lens array comprising a plurality of second lenses over the first lens array, wherein each of the plurality of second lenses directs light onto more than one of the plurality of first lenses.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various exemplary embodiments of the invention provide an extended depth of field. One embodiment provides an image restoration procedure, comprising determining sample point pixels from a pixel array based upon a distance of an object being imaged to the pixel array, and reading intensities of the sample point pixels into a memory. Another embodiment provides an image capture procedure comprising capturing light rays on a pixel array of an imaging sensor, wherein specific sampling point pixels are selected to be evaluated based on spread of an image spot across a based on spread of an image spot across the plurality of pixels of the pixel array plurality of pixels of the pixel array.
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Citations
96 Claims
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1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
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a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels; a first lens array comprising a plurality of first lenses over the pixel array; and a second lens array comprising a plurality of second lenses over the first lens array, wherein each of the plurality of second lenses directs light onto more than one of the plurality of first lenses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An imaging device, comprising:
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a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels disposed under a first lens array having a plurality of first lenses, wherein each pixel of the pixel array is disposed under a corresponding first lens of the first lens array; and a second lens array, having a plurality of second lenses, disposed over the first lens array, and wherein said second lenses are larger than said first lenses. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An imaging device comprising:
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at least one pixel array; a pixel processing unit for processing pixels of the at least one array, the pixel processing unit being configured to form a plurality of sets of sampling pixels, each said set comprising at least one different sampling point pixel, each of the plurality of sets of sampling pixels adapted to detect a respective spread of an image signal on the pixel array. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An imager device comprising:
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a least a first, second and third pixel array, each for sensing a particular image color and providing respective color pixel output signals; a pixel processing unit for selecting pixels in at least three different pixel patterns from at least one of the first, second and third pixel arrays, each pattern corresponding to a respective light spread pattern of an image on the at least one of the first, second and third pixel arrays; the pixel processing unit being configured to sum the selected pixels of the at least three different pixel patterns for selecting one of the summed pixels of each of the at least three different pixel patterns for image construction output in accordance with edge characteristics of adjacent summed pixel patterns. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47)
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48. An imaging device comprising:
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at least one pixel array providing pixel signals; and a pixel processing unit configured to; receive pixel signals from the at least one pixel array; divide the received array pixel signals into successive groups of pixels across the at least one pixel array, each successive pixel group comprising pixels in a plurality of rows and columns of the at least one pixel array; define, for each successive pixel group across the at least one pixel array, a plurality of successive corresponding sampling pixel groups, each corresponding sampling pixel group containing a different group of pixels of said successive pixel group; sum sampling pixels in each of said plurality of successive sampling pixel groups; select one of said successive summed groups of sampling pixels corresponding to a pixel group which exhibits a highest edge sharpness with a neighboring summed group of sampling pixels; and reconstruct an image using said selected groups of summed sampling pixels. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A method of capturing an image, comprising:
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capturing light rays containing image information of an object with an imaging lens; directing the light rays from the imaging lens to a plurality of first lenses of a first lens array; directing the light rays from each of the first lenses to a cluster of second lenses of a second lens array; and directing light from each of the second lenses to respective pixels of a pixel array. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. A method of imaging an object, comprising:
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providing an imager device having a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels; receiving light rays from an object to be imaged on the pixel array, the light rays originating at different distances from the pixel array; and creating an image of the object using signals from the pixel array, said signals being from particular sample pixels, and wherein said sample pixels correspond to a spread of an image spot on the pixel array. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. An image creation process, comprising:
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selecting sample point pixels with a pixel processing unit from a pixel array for use in creating an image, wherein the selecting comprises selecting a plurality of sets of sample point pixels from a group of pixels of the pixel array, each set having at least one different sample point pixel; reading signal information from the sample point pixels from the group of pixels into a memory; and summing the signal information of the sample point pixels from the group of pixels in the memory. - View Dependent Claims (82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. An image capture process, comprising:
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capturing light rays on a pixel array of an imaging sensor, the pixel array having a plurality of pixels; wherein specific sampling point pixels of the plurality of pixels are selected to be evaluated based on spread of an image spot across the plurality of pixels of the pixel array. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
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Specification