Imaging method and system with angle-discrimination layer

• US 8,970,767 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gruhlke, Russell Wayne, Yin, Ye, Li, Zheng-wu
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, TRUNG T
• Application Number:
  US13/164,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20120327288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• US Class Current: 348/340
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/001 Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras G02B23/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3466 based on interferometric effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for an imaging system that includes a light guide having light-turning features that are configured to receive ambient light incident on the light guide, including light scattered from a scene to be imaged, and to direct the received ambient light towards an image sensor. The light-turning features may have angle-discriminating properties so that some light-turning features capture light incident upon the light guide at certain angles of incidence, but not others. Light scattered from multiple parts of a scene to be imaged may then be directed to correlated locations on an image sensor, which provides electronic data representing an image.

Claims

1. An imaging system comprising:

a light guide having;

a first surface capable of receiving ambient light; and

a light-output surface;

an image sensor disposed along the light-output surface of the light guide; and

light-turning features forming a plurality of light-turning pixels disposed on the first surface of the light guide, wherein the plurality of light-turning pixels are capable of selectively capturing the ambient light incident on the pixels within a range of acceptance angles and directing the selectively captured ambient light towards the image sensor, and wherein at least some of the light-turning pixels have ranges of acceptance angles different from others of the light-turning pixels.

2. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the light-turning pixels include holographic pixels formed on or in a holographic turning film disposed on the first surface of the light guide.

3. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the light-turning pixels selectively capture the ambient light incident on the pixels within a range of polar acceptance angles and a range of azimuth acceptance angles about a center polar acceptance angle and a center azimuth acceptance angle.

4. The imaging system of claim 3, wherein different light-turning pixels from the plurality of light-turning pixels have different center polar and center azimuth acceptance angles.

5. The imaging system of claim 4, wherein each of the different light-turning pixels directs the ambient light to locations in the image sensor that are correlated with the different light-turning pixels.

6. The imaging system of claim 5, wherein more than one of the different light-turning pixels direct the ambient light toward a common, correlated location in the image sensor.

7. The imaging system of claim 3, wherein different light-turning pixels have different ranges of polar acceptance angles and different ranges of azimuth acceptance angles.

8. The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising a lens disposed between the light-output surface and the image sensor.

9. The imaging system of claim 8, wherein the lens is integral with the light-output surface.

10. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is a two-dimensional sensor.

11. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the light-turning pixels are capable of directing the ambient light toward the image sensor, the light including wavelengths outside of the visible spectrum.

12. The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising a display device underlying the light guide.

13. The imaging system of claim 12, wherein the display device is a reflective display.

14. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the light guide forms part of a front light for the reflective display.

15. The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising one or more additional image sensors disposed along one or more additional light-output surfaces of the light guide.

16. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the light-output surface includes portions of one or more of one or more edges of the light guide.

17. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the light-output surface includes portions of the front surface of the light guide.

18. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the light-output surface includes portions of a back surface of the light guide opposite the front surface.

19. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the light-turning pixels are disposed along a periphery of the first surface of the light guide.

20. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the light-turning pixels are formed in a pixilated light-turning layer.

21. The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display underlying the light guide;

a processor that is capable of communicating with the display, the processor being capable of processing image data; and

a memory device that is capable of communicating with the processor.

22. The imaging system of claim 21, further comprising:

a driver circuit capable of sending at least one signal to the display.

23. The imaging system of claim 22, further comprising:

a controller capable of sending at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.

24. The imaging system of claim 21, further comprising:

an image source module capable of sending the image data to the processor.

25. The imaging system of claim 24, wherein the image source module includes at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

26. The imaging system of claim 21, further comprising:

an input device capable of receiving input data and communicating the input data to the processor.

27. A method of manufacturing an imaging system, comprising:

providing a light guide having;

a front surface capable of receiving ambient light; and

a light-output surface;

providing an image sensor disposed along the light-output surface of the light guide; and

providing light-turning features forming a plurality of light-turning pixels disposed on a first surface of the light guide, wherein the light-turning pixels are capable of selectively capturing the ambient light incident on the pixels within a range of acceptance angles and directing the selectively captured ambient light towards the image sensor, wherein at least some of the light-turning pixels have ranges of acceptance angles different from others of the light-turning pixels.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein providing light-turning features on the surface of the light guide includes disposing a turning film over the first surface.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein disposing the turning film over the first surface of the light guide includes recording a holographic turning film and attaching the holographic turning film over the light guide.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein recording the holographic turning film includes forming light-turning pixels capable of selectively capturing the ambient light incident on the pixels within a range of polar acceptance angles and a range of azimuth acceptance angles about a center polar acceptance angle and a center azimuth acceptance angle.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein different light-turning pixels have different center polar and center azimuth acceptance angles.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein each of the different light-turning pixels is capable of directing the ambient light to locations in the image sensor that are correlated with the different light-turning pixels.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein providing the light guide includes forming a lens on the light-output surface of the light guide.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein providing the image sensor includes disposing the image sensor on one or more of the one or more edges of the light guide, the front surface of the light guide, and a back surface of the light guide opposite the front side.

35. An imaging system comprising:

a light guide having;

a front surface capable of receiving ambient light; and

a light-output surface;

an image sensor disposed along the light-output surface of the light guide; and

a plurality of angle-discrimination means for selectively capturing light from different incidence angles within a range of acceptance angles and directing the captured light toward the image sensor, the plurality of angle-discrimination means disposed on a first surface of the light guide, wherein at least some of the angle-discrimination means have ranges of acceptance angles different from others of the plurality of angle-discrimination means.

36. The imaging system of claim 35, wherein the plurality of angle-discrimination means includes a plurality of light-turning pixels disposed on the first surface of the light guide.

37. The imaging system of claim 36, wherein the plurality of light-turning pixels include holographic pixels formed on or in a holographic turning film disposed on the first surface of the light guide.

38. The imaging system of claim 37, wherein the first surface is the front surface.