# US 10,120,195 B1 · Multi-aperture optical system for high-resolution imaging

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- Number: US 10,120,195 B1
- Document ID: US10120195B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/590,788
- Filed: 2017-05-09
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-18
- Assignees: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
- Applicants: National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
- Inventors: David Bossert
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120195B1

## CPC

- G01J 3/2823: {Imaging spectrometer}
- G01J 3/26: using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters
- G02B 3/0056: {arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085)}
- G02B 23/00: Telescopes, e.g. binoculars; Periscopes; Instruments for viewing the inside of hollow bodies; Viewfinders; Optical aiming or sighting devices
- G02B 23/02: involving prisms or mirrors (G02B23/14 takes precedence)
- G02B 27/1066: {for enhancing image performance, like resolution, pixel numbers, dual magnifications or dynamic range, by tiling, slicing or overlapping fields of view}
- G02B 27/123: {The splitting element being a lens or a system of lenses, including arrays and surfaces with refractive power}
- H04N 23/45: for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
- H04N 23/957: Light-field or plenoptic cameras or camera modules
- G01J 2003/1213: {Filters in general, e.g. dichroic, band}
- G01J 2003/283: {computer-interfaced}
- G02B 27/4205: {having a diffractive optical element [DOE] contributing to image formation, e.g. whereby modulation transfer function MTF or optical aberrations are relevant}
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising an array of filters, each of the lenses in the array receiving light from a respective filter in the array of filters.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The imaging system of claim 2, wherein each FPA outputs data indicative of an intensity of light in a different respective spectral band.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The imaging system of claim 2, further comprising a computing system configured to output multispectral image data based upon outputs of the FPAs.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The imaging system of claim 2, wherein the filters in the array of filters are polarization filters.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The imaging system of claim 2, the imaging system further comprising a computing system that generates image data based upon outputs of the FPAs, wherein the array of filters comprises a plurality of optical elements, each of the optical elements being one of:
a transmissive diffraction grating;
a dispersive prism; or
a bandpass filter; and
wherein the computing system is configured to generate hyperspectral imaging (HSI) data based upon the outputs of the FPAs.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising an array of filters, wherein each of the filters in the array of filters receives light from a respective lens in the array of lenses.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The imaging system of claim 7, wherein each filter in the array of filters has a different spectral transmittance function.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The imaging system of claim 1, each lens in the array of lenses configured to focus an image of a full FOV of the telescope at a respective FPA in the FPAs.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The imaging system of claim 1, the telescope comprising a reflective optics telescope.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The imaging system of claim 1, the telescope comprising a transmissive optics telescope.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The imaging system of claim 1, the telescope comprising an afocal telescope.

### Claim 13

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.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the image product comprises an enhanced-resolution image of the scene, wherein a resolution of the enhanced-resolution image is greater than a resolution of a single FPA.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the enhanced resolution image of the scene is output based upon application of phase diversity techniques over the data output by the FPAs.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the light from the scene passes through an array of filters before being received at the lenses, each lens in the array of lenses receiving light from a different filter in the array of filters.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the image product comprises a multispectral image of the scene.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the image product comprises a hyperspectral image of the scene.

### Claim 19

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.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The optical system of claim 19, wherein the each FPA in the FPAs comprises detectors configured to output data indicative of an intensity of light received at the FPA in a different respective spectral band.