US 2020/0092498 A1 · ACTIVE-PIXEL IMAGE SENSOR

Abstract

There is provided an active-pixel image sensor that uses a method of offsetting and interleaving to increase its resolution. In a basic configuration of the active-pixel image sensor, light from one optical transmitter is diffracted to create one diffraction pattern, and then light from another optical transmitter is diffracted to create another diffraction pattern. Light from further optical transmitters may also be diffracted to create further diffraction patterns sequentially after that. These diffraction patterns are offset from one another and then interleaved using time division multiplexing so as to create a single pixel output that has higher resolution than is feasible with an active-pixel image sensor that only utilizes one optical transmitter per pixel or that does not use diffraction patterns to create a larger field of view.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of increasing a resolution of an active-pixel image sensor, comprising:

diffracting light from a first optical transmitter to create a first diffraction pattern;
sequentially diffracting light from a second optical transmitter to create a second diffraction pattern;
offsetting the second diffraction pattern spatially from the first diffraction pattern;
and
interleaving the first and second diffraction patterns using time division multiplexing to create a single pixel output.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Active-pixel image sensor

Life of this patent

Active-pixel image sensor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20