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US 10,944,904 B2Granted
Image capture with digital light path length modulation
AssigneeAvegant Corp.
InventorsAllan Thomas Evans, D. Scott Dewald, Andrew John Gross
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image capture system comprising an optical path length extender (OPLE) to direct the light having a first polarization through a first light path through the OPLE, and to direct the light having a second polarization through a second light path through the OPLE, the first and second light paths having different light path lengths. The image capture system further comprising an image sensor to capture a plurality of image portions at a plurality of focal distances.
Claims20
An image capture system comprising:
- a lens directed at a scene to be captured;
- a modulation stack comprising one or more digital light path length modulators, a digital light path length modulator comprising:
- a polarization modulator to receive light and to selectively modulate a polarization of the light;
- and
- an optical path length extender (OPLE) to direct the light having a first polarization through a first light path through the OPLE, and to direct the light having a second polarization through a second light path through the OPLE, the first and second light paths having different light path lengths, where the light traveling through the first light path passes through OPLE without any reflection and the light passing through the second light path is reflected within the OPLE;
- and
- an image sensor to capture a plurality of image portions at a plurality of focal distances, from the data captured by the modulation stack, wherein a number of focal distances depends on the number of the one or more digital light path length modulators.
4 more elements
An image capture system comprising:
- a modulation stack comprising one or more digital light path length modulators, a digital light path length modulator comprising:
- a polarization modulator to receive light and to selectively modulate a polarization of the light;
- and
- an optical path length extender (OPLE) to direct the light having a first polarization through a first light path through the OPLE, and to direct the light having a second polarization through a second light path through the OPLE, the first and second light paths having different light path lengths, where the light traveling through the first light path passes through OPLE without any reflection and the light passing through the second light path is reflected within the OPLE;
- and
- an image capture device to capture a plurality of image portions at a plurality of focal distances.
3 more elements
An optical path length extender (OPLE) comprising:
- a plurality of polarization sensitive reflective elements parallel to each other and at an angle of between 20 degrees and 70 degrees to a path of light entering the OPLE, to direct the light having a first polarization through a first light path through the OPLE, and to direct the light having a second polarization through a second light path through the OPLE, the first and second light paths having different light path lengths;
- a plurality of light blocking stripes on an entry surface of the OPLE, to block light;
- and
- wherein an output of the OPLE comprises alternating stripes of image data, at a first and a second focal distance.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.