Multi-resolution optical system and method of fabricating same

• US 8,482,594 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Harding, Kevin George, Abramovich, Gil
• Primary Examiner(s): Czekaj, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, NAM D
• Application Number:
  US12/818,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20110310218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 348/36
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 15/02 by changing, adding, or subtracting a part of the objective, e.g. convertible objective
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/00 Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0046 Movement of one or more optical elements for zooming for optical zoom lenses in general G02B7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 5/02 Lateral adjustment of lens
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 9/08 Shutters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A multi-resolution lens system includes a relay lens configured to be directed toward a field-of-view (FOV) and receive a first plurality of image photons emanating from the FOV, a high-resolution lens positioned to receive a second plurality of image photons from the FOV and to pass the second plurality of image photons toward the relay lens, and a shutter device positioned to receive over an area thereof the image photons of the FOV that pass through the relay lens, and simultaneously receive overlaid on a portion of the area thereof the image photons from the portion of the FOV that pass through the high-resolution lens and toward the relay lens.

Claims

1. A multi-resolution lens system comprising:

a relay lens positioned between a high-resolution lens and a shutter device, wherein the relay lens is positioned to receive a first plurality of image photons emanating from a field-of-view (FOV) without passing through the high-resolution lens;

wherein the high-resolution lens is positioned to receive a second plurality of image photons from the FOV and to pass the second plurality of image photons through the relay lens; and

wherein the shutter device is positioned to;

receive over a first portion thereof the first plurality of image photons of the FOV that pass through the relay lens without passing through the high-resolution lens; and

simultaneously receive over a second portion thereof the second plurality of image photons from the portion of the FOV that pass through the high-resolution lens and through the relay lens.

2. The system of claim 1 comprising a controller configured to:

laterally re-position the high-resolution lens to pass image photons from a selected portion of the FOV toward the relay lens; and

operate the shutter device to selectively pass image photons from the selected portion of the FOV and toward an image digitizing input.

3. The system of claim 2 comprising a focusing lens positioned between the shutter device and the image digitizing input and configured to focus the selectively passed image photons toward the image digitizing input.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to laterally re-position the high-resolution lens and operate the shutter device without altering the FOV.

5. The system of claim 1 comprising a focusing lens positioned to receive the image photons from the portion of the FOV that pass through the high-resolution lens and through the relay lens, when the shutter device is selectively engaged to allow passage of image photons therethrough.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the high-resolution lens is laterally positionable with respect to the relay lens in order to selectively focus image photons of the FOV toward the relay lens.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the high-resolution lens has a focal length between approximately 10 mm and 15 mm.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the shutter may be engaged to selectively allow a preferred area thereof to pass image photons therethrough.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the shutter is one of a mechanical shutter and a liquid crystal display.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein an aperture of the relay lens is larger than an aperture of the high-resolution lens.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein a focal length of the relay lens is larger than a focal length of the high-resolution lens.

12. A method of manufacturing a lens assembly comprising:

providing a housing having a first aperture and a second aperture;

positioning a relay lens in the housing between the first and second apertures;

positioning a high-resolution lens in the housing and between the first aperture and the relay lens; and

positioning a shutter device between the relay lens and the second aperture;

wherein positioning the relay lens comprises positioning the relay lens to;

receive a first plurality of image photons that passes from a field-of-view (FOV) through the first aperture and that bypass the high-resolution lens; and

pass the first plurality of image photons toward the shutter; and

wherein positioning the high-resolution lens comprises positioning the high-resolution lens to;

receive a second plurality of image photons that passes from the FOV through the first aperture; and

pass the first plurality of image photons toward the shutter through the relay lens.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising configuring the high-resolution lens to be laterally positionable with respect to the first aperture.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising configuring a controller to operate the shutter device to pass image photons through a selected area of the shutter and block image photons in an unselected area of the shutter device.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising positioning a focusing lens between the shutter device and the second aperture such that image photons passed through the selected area of the shutter pass through the focusing lens and to a digitizing input.

16. The method of claim 14 comprising configuring the controller to identify an object-of-interest in the FOV, laterally position the high-resolution lens to focus on the identified object of interest, and operate the shutter device to pass image photons of the object-of-interest that pass through the high-resolution lens.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein positioning the shutter device comprises positioning one of a mechanical shutter and a liquid crystal display.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, the computer program configured to:

generate an image of a full field-of-view (FOV), the image generated from photons passing from the full FOV, through a relay lens, and toward a shutter device, wherein the relay lens is positioned between a high resolution lens and the shutter device and is positioned to receive a portion of the photons without passing through the high resolution lens;

identify a first object-of-interest within the image for magnification; and

position the high resolution lens to receive and pass photons from the identified first object-of-interest, through the relay lens, and toward the shutter device.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein the computer is configured to operate the shutter device to selectively pass photons of the first object-of-interest toward a digitizing input and block photons from the full FOV.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein the computer is configured to operate the shutter device to selectively pass photons of the first object-of-interest using one of digital segmentation and color filtering.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein the computer is configured to identify the first object-of-interest using one of a user prompt and an automated feature recognition.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein the computer program is configured to identify a second object-of-interest within the FOV, reposition the high resolution lens to receive and pass photons from the identified second object-of-interest, and operate the shutter device to selectively pass photons of the second object-of-interest toward the digitizing input and block photons from the full FOV.