Wide Field of View Reflector and Method of Designing and Making Same
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Abstract
A system and method for designing and using freeform reflectors to collect images of a wide angle field-of-view scene is provided. A freeform reflector may enable a wide angle field-of-view to be collected in an unwarped and unwrapped manner such that computer processing may be eliminated. Furthermore, the use of a freeform reflector allows for larger areas of an image sensor chip to be used, thereby providing higher resolution images. Because freeform reflectors may be configured to map a scene onto the image sensor chip in a scalar and mathematically correct manner, output images may be directly displayed from the image sensor chip. Wide angle field-of-view imaging systems, such as surveillance, alarm, and projector system, may utilize freeform reflectors as provided herein.
37 Citations
21 Claims
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1-5. -5. (canceled)
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6. A method for collecting an electromagnetic signal, said method comprising:
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acquiring an electromagnetic signal representing a predefined field-of-view of a scene; reflecting the acquired electromagnetic signal from a freeform swiace configured by a predefined mapping function to map the acquired electromagnetic signal onto pixels of a sensor; and sensing the reflected electromagnetic signal as mapped from the predefined field-of-view of the scene by the pixels of the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for designing a freeform reflector, said method comprising:
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defining a scene having a predetermined wide angle field-of-view; determining sensor parameters of a sensor having a pixel configuration arranged to sense an electromagnetic signal; defining a mapping relationship between the scene and sensor parameters; and generating a mapping function that causes the scene to be reflected onto the sensor pixels based on the defined mapping relationship between the scene and sensor parameters, the mapping function defining a freeform reflector. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of designing a mirror, said method comprising:
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defining a scene having a predetermined field-of-view; defining a first sub-scene of the scene; defining a second sub-scene of the scene; determining sensor parameters of an optical sensor having a pixel array configuration, the pixel array configured to sense optical signals; defining a first sub-array of the optical pixel array; defining a second sub-array of the optical pixel array, the second sub-array being mutually exclusive of the first sub-array; defining a first mapping relationship between the first sub-scene and the first sub-array; defining a second mapping relationship between the second sub-scene and the second sub-array; generating a first mapping function that, when used to define a first portion of a freeform optical reflective surface, causes the first sub-scene to be reflected from the first portion of the freeform optical reflective surface onto the first sub-array; and generating a second mapping function that, when used to define a second portion of the freeform optical reflective surface, causes the second sub-scene to be reflected from the second portion of the freeform optical reflective surface onto the second sub-array. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21-25. -25. (canceled)
Specification