IMAGING SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING AN IMAGE HAVING AT LEAST ONE DISTORTED ZONE

• US 20120314065A1
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universite Laval
• Original Assignee: Universite Laval
• Inventors: PARENT, Jocelyn, THIBAULT, Simon
• Granted Patent: US 9,829,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0031 for scanning purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/18 for optical projection, e.g. combination of mirror and condenser and objective photographic, cine and overhead projectors G03B21/00; photographic projection printing G03B27/32; photolithographic projectors G03F7/20; projection television H04N5/74; colour projection television H04N9/31

Abstract

There is provided an imaging system for producing an image of a scene, the image having at least one distorted zone, the imaging system comprising image producing means for producing an image of the scene; optical means for orienting light from the scene towards the image producing means, the optical means having a base optical power, the optical means being configurable to form at least one modified portion, each one of the at least one modified portion having a modified optical power different from the base optical power to thereby create at least one distorted zone on the image; and control means operatively connected to the optical means for changing the configuration of the optical means for forming the at least one modified portion. The imaging system may be reversible and provided instead as a scanning system.

Claims

1. An imaging system for producing an image of a scene, the image having at least one distorted zone, the imaging system comprising:

image producing means for producing an image of the scene;

optical means for orienting light from the scene towards the image producing means, the optical means having a base optical power, the optical means being configurable to form at least one modified portion, each one of the at least one modified portion having a modified optical power different from the base optical power to thereby create at least one distorted zone on the image; and

control means operatively connected to the optical means for changing the configuration of the optical means for forming the at least one modified portion.

2. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the control means are further adapted for modifying the position of the at least one modified portion on the optical means to thereby modify the position of the at least one distorted zone on the image.

3. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the optical means comprise a deformable mirror having a continuous membrane.

4. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the optical means comprise a segmented deformable mirror.

5. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the optical means comprise a liquid crystal spatial light modulator.

6. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the optical means is movable;

further wherein the imaging system comprises actuating means operatively coupled to the optical means for moving the optical means into a desired configuration.

7. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the optical means comprise:

a first optical member for creating the at least one distorted zone on the image; and

a second optical member operatively connected to the control means, the second optical member being configurable to modify the at least one distorted zone on the image.

8. The imaging system of claim 7, wherein the first optical member comprises a fixed form optical element.

9. The imaging system of claim 7, wherein the first optical member comprises an active optical element.

10. The imaging system of claim 7, wherein the second optical member comprises an active optical element.

11. The imaging system of claim 7, wherein the second optical member movable;

further wherein the imaging system comprises actuating means operatively coupled to the second optical member for moving the second optical member into a desired configuration.

12. The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising image processing means operatively connected to the imager for converting the at least one distorted zone into at least one undistorted zone having a modified number of pixels.

13. The imaging system of claim 1 further comprising correcting means for correcting optical aberrations.

14. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the correcting means comprise an active optical element.

15. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the correcting means comprise a phase mask.

16. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the correcting means comprise digital processing.

17. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the imaging system is reversible.

18. A scanning system for scanning a scene, the scanning system comprising:

a light source;

scanning means for projecting light from the light source in a sweeping fashion across a predetermined range in a predetermined amount of time;

optical means for orienting the projected light from the scanning means towards the scene, the optical means having a base optical power, the optical means being configurable to form at least one modified portion, each one of the at least one modified portion having a modified optical power different from the base optical power; and

control means operatively connected to the optical means for changing the configuration of the optical means for forming the at least one modified portion.

19. The scanning system of claim 18, wherein the optical means comprise a fixed form optical element.