×

Increased resolution digital capture device

  • US 6,686,956 B1
  • Filed: 08/31/1999
  • Issued: 02/03/2004
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
Patent Images

1. Image capture apparatus comprising:

  • an image capture array having a plurality of sensors, each sensor capturing a picture element of an image;

    a lens for focusing an image of an object onto the image capture array;

    an optical wedge assembly located between the object and the lens for displacing the image of the object on the image capture array to a first position on the array;

    first memory area for holding first picture elements of the image captured from the image in the first position;

    an actuator connected to the optical wedge assembly and moving the optical wedge assembly for displacing the image of the object on the image capture array to a second and overlapping position at a distance from the first position of an integer multiple minus a fraction of the distance between adjacent sensors in the array;

    second memory area for holding second picture elements of the image captured from the image in the second position;

    logic for interleaving the stored picture elements of the first memory with those of the second memory to provide a composite image at a resolution greater than the resolution of the first picture elements and the resolution of the second picture elements;

    wherein the optical wedge assembly is a four facet shuttered optical wedge assembly and wherein the actuator moves the optical wedge assembly by opening one shutter at a time.

View all claims
  • 2 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×