Image sensor with a plurality of light channels

• US 9,654,674 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wiser, Robert Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Torrente, Richard
• Application Number:
  US14/135,851
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 348158
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

An eye-mountable device includes an image sensor situated in a polymeric material configured to be mounted to a surface of an eye. The image sensor can be disposed on a substrate at least partially embedded in the polymeric material. The image sensor can include a photo-sensitive area occupied by a plurality of photo-sensitive elements. The photo-sensitive area is illuminated by light entering a plurality of light channels. Each of the light channels has a respective orientation such that light passes through a given light channel from a respective direction. A given portion of the photo-sensitive elements therefore receives light from a respective direction corresponding to the one of the light channels that illuminates it. The direction-specific measurements of received light obtained by the multiple photo-sensitive elements can thereby be used to form an image.

Claims

1. An eye-mountable device comprising:

a polymeric material that can be removably mounted over an eye;

a substrate at least partially embedded in the polymeric material; and

an image sensor disposed on the substrate, wherein the image sensor includes;

a plurality of photo-sensitive elements in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of light channels, wherein the plurality of light channels have a plurality of different orientations with respect to a central optical axis such that each photo-sensitive element receives incident light from a respective direction defined by a corresponding one of the plurality of light channels, and wherein each light channel has a first end through which incident light enters the light channel and a second end that is closer to the central optical axis through which light passes from the light channel to a corresponding one of the photo-sensitive elements, wherein each of the light channels is formed by a plurality of interconnected apertures patterned in a plurality of opaque layers stacked over the photo-sensitive elements.

2. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna disposed on the substrate; and

a controller electrically connected to the image sensor and the antenna, wherein the controller is configured to (i) control the image sensor to obtain data indicative of light received by the photo-sensitive elements, and (ii) use the antenna to indicate the obtained data.

3. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light channels defines a plurality of substantially non-overlapping fields of view that combine to define a cumulative field of view of the image sensor.

4. The eye-mountable device of claim 3, wherein the non-overlapping fields of view defined by the light channels subtend respective solid angles so as to substantially equally divide the cumulative field of view.

5. The eye-mountable device of claim 4, wherein each of the non-overlapping fields of view defined by the light channels are characterized by opening angles, in one dimension, of less than about 2.5 degrees.

6. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of opaque layers includes one or more stacked circuit components disposed on the plurality of photo-sensitive elements.

7. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the photo-sensitive elements comprise complementary metal oxide semiconductor devices.

8. The eye-mountable device of claim 7, wherein the complementary metal oxide semiconductor devices are arranged in rows and columns.

9. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the first end of each light channel has a larger opening than the second end.

10. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein each of the light channels includes opaque sidewalls so as to prevent incident light received into a given light channel from reaching a photo-sensitive element corresponding to another light channel.

11. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, further comprising an energy harvesting system that captures electrical energy from incident radiation to power the controller.

12. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is disposed on the substrate such that, while the eye-mountable device is mounted over the eye, respective openings of the light channels are positioned facing the eye.

13. The eye-mountable device of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is disposed on the substrate such that, while the eye-mountable device is mounted over the eye, respective openings of the light channels are positioned facing away from the eye.