Multi-aperture optical system for high-resolution imaging
AssigneeNational Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
InventorDavid Bossert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Technologies pertaining to a multi-aperture optical imaging system are described herein. The multi-aperture optical system comprises an afocal optical telescope and a plurality of sub-apertures that receive light from the telescope. Each sub-aperture comprises a focusing optic that creates a full-field image onto an individual image sensor that outputs data indicative of an intensity of light received at the sensor. Image processing techniques can be used to combine the sensor outputs for spectral discrimination, to improve dynamic range or to enhance resolution of a scene.
Claims20
An imaging system, comprising:
- an optical telescope;
- an array of lenses located at an exit pupil of the telescope;
- and
- a plurality of focal plane arrays (FPAs), each FPA configured to receive light from a respective lens in the array of lenses, wherein each lens in the array of lenses is configured to focus an image of a same field of view (FOV) at a respective FPA in the FPAs, and wherein each FPA is configured to output data indicative of an intensity of light received at the FPA.
A method, comprising:
- receiving light from a scene at an array of lenses, the light directed to the array of lenses by an optical telescope, the array of lenses located at an exit pupil of the telescope;
- focusing the received light on a plurality of focal plane arrays (FPAs) by way of the array of lenses, wherein each lens in the array of lenses focuses the light onto a different respective FPA in the FPAs, wherein each lens focuses an image of a same field of view (FOV) onto its respective FPA, and wherein each FPA is configured to output data indicative of an intensity of light received at the FPA;
- and
- responsive to receiving the data indicative of the intensity of light received at each of the FPAs at a computing device, outputting an image product corresponding to the same FOV by way of the computing device.
An optical system comprising:
- an optical telescope that receives light from a scene;
- an array of optical filters that receives light from the optical telescope;
- an array of lenses located at an exit pupil of the optical telescope, wherein the lenses receive filtered light from the filters;
- and
- a plurality of focal plane arrays (FPAs), each FPA configured to receive light from a respective lens in the array of lenses, wherein each lens in the array of lenses is configured to focus an image of a same field of view (FOV) at a respective FPA in the FPAs, and wherein each FPA is configured to output data indicative of an intensity of light received at the FPA.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.