Apparatus for imaging using an array of lenses

• US 8,077,245 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nano Smart Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Nano Smart Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Adamo, Thomas J., Montelius, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): GEBRIEL, SELAM T
• Application Number:
  US10/591,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20070182821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,463 Days
• Field of Search: 348/340, 348/324, 348/294, 356/419
• US Class Current: 348/340
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0208 using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0256 Compact construction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0006 Arrays G02B3/02, G02B5/188 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0062 Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/14 using lenticular screens integral with film G03C
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/41 Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/702 SSIS architectures characterised by non-identical, non-equidistant or non-planar pixel layout

Abstract

An imaging system/camera consisting of multiple nano-sized optical elements arranged in an array format with more than one pixel per optical element will have a higher resolution than each element would be capable of individually, since each element being at a different point gathers slightly different overlapping information. Hence by processing such information one can obtain a clear image. Furthermore multiple information from sectors of an array of sensors can be processed to obtain 3-D, stereotypic and panoramic imaging and may be connected to each other allowing seeing around obstacles as well as enabling full 3-D tracking and/or metric determination of an unknown object. Color/spectroscopic imaging can be achieved by utilizing equally sized lenses and multi-wavelength sensing layers below the lenses. However, color/spectroscopic imaging and/or spectroscopy can be achieved by taking advantage of unique optical properties of nano-scaled lenses accepting various wavelengths below their diffraction limits.

Claims

1. A nano-imaging apparatus comprising multiple optical elements of sub-micron, nanometer scale, said optical elements functioning as lenses and have more than one pixel per optical element, said optical elements gathering overlapping information, said optical elements being supported onto a partly or fully radiation transmitting layer, which in turn is situated on top of a radiation sensitive layer being patterned so that under each of said optical elements there exists at least more than one radiation harvesting element that may be individually affected by radiation, whereby an image is obtained by combining said overlapping information.

2. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the material of the individual optical elements has a property that causes them to function as lenses.

3. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the partly or fully radiation transmitting layer comprises homogenous material or heterogeneous material, e.g. a layer consisting of fiber, spacer or a fluid or combinations thereof, being malleable by changing its volume, spacing, curvature, other shape change, or chemistry.

4. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the functions of focusing, light filtering, optical correction or zooming are achievable by at least one of fluidic, capillary force, molecular rearrangement, chemistry, or nano-sized levers or fibers to adjust size or refractive property of the optical system.

5. The nano-imaging apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein the optical elements further comprise different layers of refractive material enabling radiation of different wavelengths to be manipulated during the path through the optical element to compensate for aberration effects, and wherein the material and malleability of the individual optical elements and system are capable of focusing, zooming, light filtering and optical aberration correction.

6. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the radiation harvesting elements work as a photoelectric device that produces an electronic signal.

7. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claims 6, wherein the electronic signal produced can be monitored and/or manipulated by electronic digital processing making an electronic read-out possible.

8. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein by image enhancing processing algorithms, overlapping information from physically (geometrically) or electronically defined arrays of sensors or “

sectors”

one can obtain a high resolution image.

9. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 8, wherein since each of the lenses has a slightly different spatial viewpoint, the multiple information from electronically or geometrically defined multiple sectors of the array of sensors can be processed to obtain 3-D or stereotypic images.

10. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising at least one shutter layer, wherein said apparatus is barely visible to ordinary vision or incorporated into either large, micro-sized or nano-sized devices.

11. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein all elements of the imaging apparatus are made out of flexible materials.

12. The nano-imaging apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical elements are arranged cylindrically as on a flexible tape, or spherically to obtain wide angle views.

13. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a wide angle view detector having a sensor array curved in a 2-dimensional fashion combined with stitching the information together to thereby produce up to 360 degree panoramic imaging.

14. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a wide angle view detector having a sensor array spherized in a 3dimensional fashion combined with stitching the information together thereby producing a full 360 degree imaging capability in all 3-dimensions in “

fisheye”

, circular, rectilinear, or other fat map projections.

15. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein color imaging and spectroscopic imaging are achieved by utilizing equal-sized lenses and using multi-wavelength sensing layers below the lenses.

16. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein spectroscopic imaging and/or spectroscopy can be achieved by taking advantage of the optical properties of nano-scaled lenses by controlling the diameter of the lenses at a nanometer level thereby accepting various wavelengths below the diffraction limit.

17. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein stepwise-sized lenses with gradually increasing/decreasing diameter are employed by utilizing processing to remove the cumulative component of the incrementally larger lenses.

18. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the smallest diameter lens is capable of admitting only the UV-light waves and the largest diameter lens admitting all wavelengths up to IR-radiation.

19. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein color imaging can be achieved by controlling the diameter of a limited set of two or more lenses at a nanometer level.

20. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 19, wherein lenses with different diameters are utilized to detect discrete wavelengths which subsequently are additively combined to produce a color-code necessary for standard (e.g. RGB, CMYK) or false color processing.

21. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the electronic read-out signal is electronically processed in multiple ways, including by delivery to further imbedded processing and storage circuitry, or to deliver information to a separate or remote device, which in itself stores information for that can be observed, stored and/or redelivered/re-broadcast.

22. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein multiple of said apparatuses are distributed in space and in communication with each other and/or a central processor enabling retrieval of multiple information, wherein said information can be assembled interferometrically or to create multiple viewpoints seeing around obstacles.

23. The nano-imaging apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said multiple of said apparatuses are employable as a tracking device enabling full 3-dimensional capability as well as a “

measurement station”

making true 3-dimensional metric determination of an unknown object.