MULTISPECTRAL IMAGING BASED ON COMPUTATIONAL IMAGING AND A NARROW-BAND ABSORPTIVE FILTER ARRAY
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A multispectral imager for sensing a multispectral image, comprising:
- a light sensor array comprising a plurality of pixels; and
a filter array situated upstream of the light sensor array, the filter array comprising a plurality of narrow-band absorptive filter elements in which individual filter elements are associated with respective individual pixels of the light sensor array, the plurality of filter elements being organized into groups each comprising respective N filter elements, in which individual filter element i absorbs Ki respective narrow bands and transmits N−
Ki narrow bands of incident light, wherein the group of N filter elements absorbs the N narrow bands, N is greater than three, Ki is between 1 and N−
1, i is from 1 to N, and Ki is different for at least two individual filter elements.
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Abstract
Multispectral imaging systems are disclosed. An exemplary multispectral imager includes a narrow-band absorptive filter array and a sensor array comprising a plurality of pixels. The narrow-band absorptive filter array has a plurality of filter elements, each filter element being associated with a pixel of the sensor array. The filter elements are organized into groups of N filter elements, where N is greater than three. Each filter element absorbs one narrow band and transmits N−1 narrow bands. The group of N filter elements absorbs all N narrow bands.
49 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A multispectral imager for sensing a multispectral image, comprising:
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a light sensor array comprising a plurality of pixels; and a filter array situated upstream of the light sensor array, the filter array comprising a plurality of narrow-band absorptive filter elements in which individual filter elements are associated with respective individual pixels of the light sensor array, the plurality of filter elements being organized into groups each comprising respective N filter elements, in which individual filter element i absorbs Ki respective narrow bands and transmits N−
Ki narrow bands of incident light, wherein the group of N filter elements absorbs the N narrow bands, N is greater than three, Ki is between 1 and N−
1, i is from 1 to N, and Ki is different for at least two individual filter elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for detecting a multispectral image, comprising:
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directing light toward an array of filter elements and an array of light sensors, the array of filter elements being organized into a plurality of groups of filter elements, each group of filter elements comprising respective N filter elements in which individual filter elements are associated with a respective light sensor of the array of light sensors; filtering the light entering the array of light sensors to an image spectrum comprising N narrow bands of spectra, N being greater than three; at individual filter elements, absorbing one respective narrow band of the spectrum and transmitting N−
1 respective narrow bands of the spectrum such that the group of filter elements absorbs respective N narrow bands of the image spectrum; anddetecting respective intensity of light received at each light sensor. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A camera for capturing a multispectral image, comprising:
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a focusing system situated and configured to produce a focused image from light incident to the focusing system; a light sensor array comprising a plurality of light-sensitive pixels; and a filter array situated between the focusing system and the light sensor array, the filter array comprising a plurality of narrow-band absorptive filter elements in which individual filter elements are associated with respective individual pixels of the light sensor array, the plurality of filter elements being organized into groups comprising respective N filter elements, in which individual filter elements absorb K respective narrow bands and transmit N−
K narrow bands of incident light, the group of N filter elements absorbing all N narrow bands, wherein N is greater than three and K is between one and N−
2. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification