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US 12,222,243 B2Granted
Modulator, imaging apparatus, and design method
AssigneeSony Group Corporation
InventorTuo Zhuang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modulator according to the embodiment is a modulator provided between a diffraction grating and an image sensor. The modulator receives a light ray directed to the image sensor from the diffraction grating, and changes a travel direction of the light ray emitted toward the image sensor so as to bend a recording direction of a diffraction image for each wavelength of the light ray on a light receiving surface of the image sensor.
Claims9
A modulator, comprising:
- a main body that includes a surface, wherein
- the modulator is configured to:
- receive a light ray directed to an image sensor from a diffraction grating, wherein the modulator is between the diffraction grating and the image sensor;
- and
- change a travel direction of the light ray emitted toward the image sensor to bend a recording direction of a diffraction image for each of wavelengths of the light ray on a light receiving surface of the image sensor,
- a surface shape of the surface of the main body is such that a part of the surface is convex, and
- the part of the surface which is convex corresponds to the diffraction image for which the recording direction is bent on the light receiving surface of the image sensor.
4 more elements
An imaging apparatus, including:
- a diffraction grating;
- an image sensor having a light receiving surface, wherein the image sensor is within a first distance of the diffraction grating;
- a modulator between the diffraction grating and the image sensor, wherein the modulator is configured to:
- receive a light ray directed to the image sensor from the diffraction grating;
- and
- change a travel direction of the light ray emitted toward the image sensor to bend a recording direction of a diffraction image for each of wavelengths of the light ray on the light receiving surface of the image sensor;
- and
- an imaging lens between the diffraction grating and the image sensor, wherein
- the modulator is placed within a second distance of the light receiving surface of the image sensor and in a focal plane of the imaging lens.
6 more elements
A method of designing a modulator, the method including:
- tracking behaviors of an incident light ray and an emitted light ray of the modulator in a space, wherein
- the modulator is configured to:
- change a travel direction of a light ray received from a diffraction grating;
- and
- emit the light ray to an image sensor;
- determining a surface normal of the modulator based on the incident light ray and the emitted light ray;
- and
- integrating the surface normal to determine a surface shape of a surface of a main body of the modulator, wherein
- the surface shape of the surface of the main body is such that a part of the surface is convex, and
- the part of the surface which is convex corresponds to a diffraction image for which a recording direction of the diffraction image is bent on a light receiving surface of the image sensor.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.