Imaging apparatus and imaging method for capturing bright image without using expensive large-diameter lens
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorsIlya Reshetouski, Atsushi Ito, Hideki Oyaizu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus and an imaging method that permit capture of a bright image without using an expensive large-diameter lens. A mirror surface having an opening portion larger in area than an imaging element is formed at a former stage of the imaging element. The mirror surface concentrates light from a subject surface. The imaging apparatus captures an image formed by light that directly enters the imaging element and light that is reflected by the mirror surface and reconstructs a final image from the captured image. The present disclosure is applicable to an imaging apparatus.
Claims24
An imaging apparatus, comprising:
- a guide section configured to guide incident light from a subject to an imaging element, wherein
- a shape of the guide section is a circular frustum shape,
- the circular frustum shape of the guide section includes a large opening portion and a small opening portion, and
- each of the large opening portion and the small opening portion includes a curved mirror surface;
- an imaging section configured to capture an image of the guided incident light as a pixel signal;
- and
- a signal processing section configured to reconstruct the pixel signal as a final image based on signal processing.
An imaging method, comprising:
- in an imaging apparatus that includes an imaging element and a guide section:
- guiding, by the guide section, incident light from a subject to the imaging element, wherein
- a shape of the guide section is a circular frustum shape,
- the circular frustum shape of the guide section includes a large opening portion and a small opening portion, and
- each of the large opening portion and the small opening portion includes a curved mirror surface;
- capturing an image of the guided incident light as a pixel signal;
- and
- reconstructing the pixel signal as a final image based on signal processing.
An imaging apparatus, comprising:
- a guide section configured to guide incident light from a subject to an imaging element;
- a modulation section that includes:
- a lens configured to concentrate the guided incident light;
- and
- a tubular mirror surface configured to reflect the concentrated incident light;
- an imaging section configured to capture an image of the reflected incident light as a pixel signal;
- and
- a signal processing section configured to reconstruct the pixel signal as a final image based on signal processing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.