Microlens for use with a solid-state image sensor and a non-telecentric taking lens

An imager, comprising:

• a two-dimensional array of photosensors, each photosensor having a center point;
• and
• a color filter array positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors, said color filter array including a plurality of color filter areas, each color filter area being associated with a corresponding photosensor and having a center point;
• said color filter area being positioned over a corresponding photosensor such that a center point of a color filter area is offset, in a first direction, from a center point of a corresponding photosensor.

An imager, comprising:

• a two-dimensional array of photosensors, each photosensor having a center point;
• and
• a layer of transmissive apertures positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors, each aperture being associated with a corresponding photosensor and having a center point;
• said aperture being positioned over said corresponding photosensor such that a center point of a aperture is offset, in a first direction, from a center point of a corresponding photosensor.

An imager, comprising:

• a two-dimensional array of photosensors, each photosensor having a center point;
• a two-dimensional array of microlenses positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors, each microlens being associated with a corresponding photosensor, each microlens having a center point;
• a color filter array positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors, said color filter array including a plurality of color filter areas, each color filter area being associated with a corresponding photosensor and having a center point;
• and
• a layer of transmissive apertures positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors, each aperture being associated with a corresponding photosensor and having a center point;
• said microlens being positioned over said corresponding photosensor such that a center point of a microlens is offset, in a first direction, from a center point of a corresponding photosensor;
• said color filter area being positioned over said corresponding photosensor such that a center point of a color filter area is offset, in said first direction, from a center point of a corresponding photosensor;
• said aperture being positioned over said corresponding photosensor such that a center point of a aperture is offset, in said first direction, from a center point of said corresponding photosensor.

An imaging system, comprising:

• a two-dimensional array of photosensors, each photosensor having a center point;
• a non-telecentric lens positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors;
• and
• a two-dimensional array of microlenses positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors, each microlens being associated with a corresponding photosensor, each microlens having a center point;
• said microlens being positioned over said corresponding photosensor such that a center point of a microlens is offset from a center point of a corresponding photosensor, each offset having an amount and a direction such that said amounts and directions spatially vary across said two-dimensional array of photosensors;
• said spatial variation being determined based on optical characteristics of said non-telecentric lens and optical properties of said two-dimensional array of photosensors and said microlenses such that light sensitivity of each pixel is maximized.

An imaging system, comprising:

• a two-dimensional array of photosensors, each photosensor having a center point;
• a non-telecentric lens positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors;
• and
• a color filter array positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors, said color filter array including a plurality of color filter areas, each color filter area being associated with a corresponding photosensor and having a center point;
• said color filter area being positioned over said corresponding photosensor such that said center point of said color filter area is offset from said center point of said corresponding photosensor, each offset having an amount and a direction such that said amounts and directions spatially vary across said two-dimensional array of photosensors;
• said spatial variation being determined based on optical characteristics of said non-telecentric lens and optical properties of said two-dimensional array of photosensors and said color filter areas such that crosstalk is minimized.

An imaging system, comprising:

• a two-dimensional array of photosensors, each photosensor having a center point;
• a non-telecentric lens positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors;
• and
• a layer of transmissive apertures positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors, each aperture being associated with a corresponding photosensor and having a center point;
• said aperture being positioned over said corresponding photosensor such that said center point of said aperture is offset from said center point of said corresponding photosensor, each offset having an amount and a direction such that said amounts and directions spatially vary across said two-dimensional array of photosensors;
• said spatial variation being determined based on optical characteristics of said non-telecentric lens and optical properties of said two-dimensional array of photosensors and said aperturess such that stray light signals are minimized.

An imaging system, comprising:

• a two-dimensional array of photosensors, each photosensor having a center point;
• a non-telecentric lens positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors;
• a two-dimensional array of microlenses positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors, each microlens being associated with a corresponding photosensor, each microlens having a center point;
• a color filter array positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors, said color filter array including a plurality of color filter areas, each color filter area being associated with a corresponding photosensor and having a center point;
• and
• a layer of transmissive apertures positioned over said two-dimensional array of photosensors, each aperture being associated with a corresponding photosensor and having a center point;
• said microlens being positioned over said corresponding photosensor such that said center point of said microlens is offset from said center point of said corresponding photosensor, each microlens offset having an amount and a direction such that said amounts and directions spatially vary across said two-dimensional array of photosensors;
• said color filter area being positioned over said corresponding photosensor such that said center point of said color filter area is offset from said center point of said corresponding photosensor, each color filter area offset having an amount and a direction such that said amounts and directions spatially vary across said two-dimensional array of photosensors;
• said aperture being positioned over said corresponding photosensor such that said center point of said aperture is offset, in said first direction, from said center point of said corresponding photosensor, each aperture offset having an amount and a direction such that said amounts and directions spatially vary across said two-dimensional array of photosensors;
• said spatial variation of said microlens offsets being determined based on optical characteristics of said non-telecentric lens and optical properties of said two-dimensional array of photosensors and said microlenses such that light sensitivity of each pixel is maximized;
• said spatial variation of said color filter area offsets being determined based on optical characteristics of said non-telecentric lens and optical properties of said two-dimensional array of photosensors and said color filter areas such that crosstalk is minimized;
• said spatial variation of said aperture offsets being determined based on optical characteristics of said non-telecentric lens and optical properties of said two-dimensional array of photosensors and said apertures such that stray light signals are minimized.