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US 11,150,347 B2Granted
Micro-optics for optical imager with non-uniform filter
AssigneeOuster, Inc.
InventorsAngus Pacala, Mark Frichtl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments describe optical imagers that include one or more micro-optic components. Some imagers can be passive imagers that include a light detection system for receiving ambient light from a field. Some imagers can be active imagers that include a light emission system in addition to the light detection system. The light emission system can be configured to emit light into the field such that emitted light is reflected off surfaces of an object in the field and received by the light detection system. In some embodiments, the light detection system and/or the light emission system includes micro-optic components for improving operational performance.
Claims21
An optical system, comprising:
- a bulk receiver optic configured to receive light rays originating from a field external to the optical system;
- and
- an optical assembly having a plurality of micro-optic receiver channels defining a plurality of discrete, non-overlapping fields of view in the field, the optical assembly comprising:
- an aperture layer having a plurality of discrete apertures arranged along a focal plane of the bulk receiver optic;
- an array of photosensors disposed behind the aperture layer;
- and
- a non-uniform optical filter layer configured to allow different micro-optic channels to measure different ranges of wavelengths;
- wherein the optical assembly further comprises a plurality of lenses, each channel further including a lens from the plurality of lenses, and wherein the lens for each channel is axially aligned with and configured to collimate lights rays received through its corresponding aperture and pass the collimated light rays into its corresponding photosensor.
5 more elements
An optical system, comprising:
- a bulk receiver optic configured to receive light rays originating from a field external to the optical system;
- and
- an optical assembly having a plurality of micro-optic receiver channels defining a plurality of discrete, non-overlapping fields of view in the field, the optical assembly comprising:
- an aperture layer having a plurality of discrete apertures arranged along a focal plane of the bulk receiver optic;
- a plurality of lenses;
- an array of photosensors disposed behind the aperture layer;
- and
- a non-uniform optical filter layer configured to allow different micro-optic channels to measure different ranges of wavelengths;
- wherein each channel includes an aperture from the plurality of discrete apertures, a lens from the plurality of lenses and a photosensor in the array of photosensors, the photosensor comprising a plurality of single-photon avalanche detectors (SPADs);
- wherein the lens for each channel collimates lights rays received through its corresponding aperture and passes the collimated light rays into its corresponding photosensor;
- and
- each channel further comprises a second plurality of lenses that corresponds in number to the plurality of SPADs and wherein each lens in the second plurality of lenses focuses incident photons received at the photosensor on an individual SPAD in the plurality of SPADs in the channel.
9 more elements
An optical system, comprising:
- a bulk receiver optic configured to receive light rays originating from a field external to the optical system;
- and
- an optical assembly having a plurality of micro-optic receiver channels defining a plurality of discrete, non-overlapping fields of view in the field, the optical assembly comprising:
- an aperture layer having a plurality of discrete apertures arranged along a focal plane of the bulk receiver optic;
- an array of photosensors disposed behind the aperture layer;
- and
- a non-uniform optical filter layer configured to allow different micro-optic channels to measure different ranges of wavelengths;
- wherein the optical assembly comprises a monolithic ASIC constructed on a common substrate, within which the array of photosensors are fabricated, and the separate layers for the aperture layer, a plurality of lenses, and the filter layer are formed on the monolithic ASIC such that they become part of the monolithic structure of the ASIC.
5 more elements
An optical system comprising:
- a bulk receiver optic configured to receive light from a field external to the optical system;
- an aperture layer disposed behind the bulk optic and including a plurality of apertures located at a focal plane of the bulk optic;
- a lens layer including a plurality of collimating lenses having a focal length, the lens layer disposed behind the aperture layer and separated from the aperture layer by the focal length;
- a non-uniform optical filter layer behind the lens layer;
- and
- a photosensor layer including a plurality of photosensors;
- wherein the aperture layer, lens layer, non-uniform optical filter layer and photosensor layer are arranged to form a plurality of micro-optic channels defining a plurality of discrete, non-overlapping fields of view in the field with each micro-optic channel in the plurality of micro-optic channels including an aperture from the plurality of apertures, a lens from the plurality of lenses, a filter from the filter layer, and a photosensor from the plurality of photosensors and being configured to communicate light incident from the bulk receiver optic to the photosensor of the micro-optic channel;
- and
- wherein the non-uniform optical filter layer is configured to allow different micro-optic channels to measure different ranges of wavelengths.
6 more elements
An optical system, comprising:
- a bulk receiver optic configured to receive light rays originating from a field external to the optical system;
- and
- an optical assembly having a plurality of micro-optic receiver channels defining a plurality of discrete, non-overlapping fields of view in the field, the optical assembly comprising:
- a monolithic ASIC including a processor, a memory, and a plurality of photosensors fabricated in the ASIC;
- an aperture layer having a plurality of discrete apertures arranged along a focal plane of the bulk receiver optic, the array of photosensors disposed behind the aperture layer;
- a plurality of lenses positioned between the aperture layer and the array of photosensors;
- and
- a non-uniform optical filter layer configured to allow different micro-optic channels to measure different ranges of wavelengths, wherein the aperture layer, plurality of lenses, and non-uniform optical filter layer are formed on the ASIC such that they form part of the monolithic structure of the ASIC.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.