# US 12,222,243 B2 · Modulator, imaging apparatus, and design method

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- Number: US 12,222,243 B2
- Document ID: US12222243B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/759,492
- Filed: 2021-01-25
- Published: 2023-03-23
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-03
- Assignees: Sony Group Corporation
- Applicants: Sony Group Corporation
- Inventors: Tuo Zhuang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222243B2

## CPC

- G01J 3/0229: {using masks, aperture plates, spatial light modulators or spatial filters, e.g. reflective filters}
- G01J 3/1804: {Plane gratings}
- G01J 3/027: {Control of working procedures of a spectrometer; Failure detection; Bandwidth calculation}
- G01J 3/2803: {using photoelectric array detector}
- G03B 15/00: Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
- G03B 15/05: Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
- G03B 15/14: for taking photographs during medical operations
- G01J 2003/1217: {Indexed discrete filters or choppers}
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The modulator according to claim 1, wherein
the modulator is further configured to change the travel direction of the light ray to curve the diffraction image that has a certain wavelength among the wavelengths of the light ray received from the diffraction grating, and
the certain wavelength is a wavelength at which the recording direction on the light receiving surface is linear.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The modulator according to claim 2, wherein
the modulator is further configured to change the travel direction of the light ray such that the diffraction image for which the recording direction is bent is fit in the light receiving surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The modulator according to claim 3, wherein
the modulator is further configured to change the travel direction of the light ray so as to suppress superimposition of the diffraction image for which the recording direction is bent and another diffraction image.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The modulator according to claim 4, wherein
the main body is of a transmittable material,
the main body has an incidence plane that has a shape of an incidence position based on a refractive index of the transmittable material and the light ray,
the light ray is incident on a single point, and
the light ray has a single wavelength and a single incident angle.

### Claim 6

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.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, further including
a modulation lens between the diffraction grating and the modulator, wherein the modulator is in a focal position of the modulation lens.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein
the imaging lens is between the modulator and the image sensor, and
the imaging lens is configured to image the light ray emitted from the modulator on the light receiving surface.

### Claim 9

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.