Bulk optics for a scanning array
AssigneeOuster, Inc.
InventorsAngus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multispectral sensor array can include a combination of ranging sensor channels (e.g., LIDAR sensor channels) and ambient-light sensor channels tuned to detect ambient light having a channel-specific property (e.g., color). The sensor channels can be arranged and spaced to provide multispectral images of a field of view in which the multispectral images from different sensors are inherently aligned with each other to define an array of multispectral image pixels. Various optical elements can be provided to facilitate imaging operations. Light ranging/imaging systems incorporating multispectral sensor arrays can operate in rotating and/or static modes.
Claims24
A scanning imaging system for providing an image having a fixed resolution in a scanning direction, the scanning imaging system comprising:
- a sensor array comprising a set of sensor channels arranged in two dimensions, each of the sensor channels being configured to detect light;
- a rotary control system configured to rotate the sensor array in a scanning direction through a sequence of angular measurement positions to obtain a frame of data, the frame of data representing an image of a field of view, the frame of data comprising a grid of image pixels spaced in the scanning direction according to a uniform angular pitch;
- and
- a bulk optic module configured to focus the light toward the sensor array, the bulk optic module having a focal length and a focal length distortion profile that are both tuned to the arrangement of the set of sensor channels such that rotating the sensor array through the uniform angular pitch along the scanning direction shifts a location where a ray is incident on the sensor array from one sensor channel to an adjacent sensor channel.
A scanning imaging system for providing an image having a fixed resolution in a scanning direction, the scanning imaging system comprising:
- a sensor array comprising a set of sensor channels arranged in one or two dimensions, each of the sensor channels being configured to detect light;
- a mirror subsystem configured to direct light from different portions of a field of view onto the sensor array at different times such that the sensor array obtains a frame of data representing an image of the field of view, the frame of data comprising a grid of image pixels spaced in a scanning direction according to a uniform angular pitch;
- and
- a bulk optic module configured to focus the light toward the sensor array, the bulk optic module having a focal length and a focal length distortion profile that are both tuned to the arrangement of the set of sensor channels such that rotating the sensor array through the uniform angular pitch along the scanning direction shifts a location where a ray is incident on the sensor array from one sensor channel to an adjacent sensor channel.
A raster-scanning imaging system for providing an image having a fixed resolution by scanning in two dimensions, the raster-scanning imaging system comprising:
- a sensor array comprising a set of sensor channels arranged in one or two dimensions, each of the sensor channels being configured to detect light;
- a raster scanning mechanism configured to perform a raster scan in one or two dimensions that directs light from different portions of a field of view onto the sensor array at different times such that the sensor array obtains a frame of data representing an image of the field of view, the frame of data comprising a two-dimensional grid of image pixels spaced in each of the two dimensions according to a uniform pitch, wherein both dimensions of the grid of image pixels are larger than the dimensions of the sensor array;
- and
- a bulk optic module configured to focus the light toward the sensor array, the bulk optic module having a focal length and a focal length distortion profile that are both tuned to the arrangement of the set of sensor channels such that the sensor array uniformly samples the field of view.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.