VIGNETTED OPTOELECTRONIC ARRAY FOR USE IN SYNTHETIC IMAGE FORMATION VIA SIGNAL PROCESSING, LENSLESS CAMERAS, AND INTEGRATED CAMERA-DISPLAYS

• US 20110032369A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NRI R&D Patent Licensing, LLC (Advanced Touchscreen and Gesture Technologies, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avistar Communications Corporation (Avistar)
• Inventors: LUDWIG, Lester F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,830,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/218.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/955 for lensless imaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/702 SSIS architectures characterised by non-identical, non-equidistant or non-planar pixel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/30 Transforming light or analogous information into electric information scanning details H04N3/00; cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00; circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS] or control thereof H04N25/00

Abstract

A vignetted optoelectronic array for systems and methods performing electronic image formation and refinement from overlapping measurement vignettes captured by an array of image sensors and associated micro-optics. The invention is directed to a new type of image formation system that combines readily-fabricated micro-optical structures, a two-dimensional image sensor array, and electronic or digital image processing to construct an image. Image formation is performed without a conventional large shared lens and associated separation distance between lens and image sensor, resulting in a “lensless camera.”

In an embodiment, an LED array is used as alight-field sensor. In an application, the LED array further serves as a color “lensless camera.” In an application, the LED array also serves as an image display. In an application, the LED array further serves as a color mage display. In an embodiment, one or more synergistic features of an integrated camera/display surface are realized.

Claims

1. An optical-electronic array for use at least as a sensor in a system for numerical image formation and for refinement from overlapping measurement vignettes of an incoming light field associated with an observed scene, the optical-electronic array comprising:

An array of optical-electronic elements, each associated with a vignetting micro-optical arrangement, each optical-electronic element producing a light detection signals;

A multiplexing arrangement for gathering the light detection signals from each optical-electronic element and for producing a stream of measurement values responsive to an incoming light field presented to the sensor and associated with an observed scene;

Wherein the optical-electronic array creates a plurality of light detection signals responsive to a plurality optically vignetted portions of an incoming light field associated with an observed scene.

2. The optical-electronic array of claim 1 wherein the optical-electronic elements are (Light Emitting Diodes) LEDs.

3. The optical-electronic array of claim 2 wherein the optical-electronic elements are Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs).

4. The optical-electronic array of claim 2 wherein at least some of the LEDs are additionally configured to emit light.

5. The optical-electronic array of claim 4 wherein the light-emitting diode light sensors additionally configured to emit light act as a visual image display.

6. The optical-electronic array of claim 1 wherein the vignetting micro-optical arrangement is columnated.

7. The optical-electronic array of claim 1 wherein vignetting micro-optical arrangement is associated with a unique one optical-electronic element in the optical-electronic array.

8. The optical-electronic array of claim 1 wherein vignetting micro-optical arrangement is associated with a plurality of optical-electronic elements in the optical-electronic array.

9. The optical-electronic array of claim 1 wherein vignetting micro-optical arrangement comprises at least one associated micro-lens.

10. The optical-electronic array of claim 9 wherein the micro-lens in the vignetting micro-optical arrangement is located in the portion of the vignetting micro-optical arrangement closest to an associated optical-electronic element.

11. The optical-electronic array of claim 9 wherein the micro-lens in the vignetting micro-optical arrangement is located in the portion of the vignetting micro-optical arrangement farthest from an associated optical-electronic element.

12. The optical-electronic array of claim 1 wherein optical-electronic elements have been co-optimized for both light detection and light emission.

13. The optical-electronic array of claim 1 wherein the optical-electronic elements are configured to have a square light sensing area.

14. The optical-electronic array of claim 1 wherein the optical-electronic elements are configured to have a circular light sensing area.

15. The optical-electronic array of claim 1 wherein the optical-electronic elements are configured to have a hexagonal light sensing area.

16. The optical-electronic array of claim 4 wherein the multiplexing arrangement if further configured to multiplex individual optical-electronic elements in at least a display mode and a sensor mode.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the light detection signals are produced by circuits measuring light-induced electrical behavior of LEDs.

18. The system of claim 2 wherein the light-induced electrical behavior is a photocurrent.

19. The system of claim 2 wherein the light-induced electrical behavior is a light-induced voltage.

20. The system of claim 2 wherein the light-induced electrical behavior is a light-induced charge.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the two-dimensional array of light sensors comprises a color LED array as a color light-field sensor producing color light-field detection signals.