Tileable image sensor array
AssigneeU.S. Government as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsPatrick W. Jungwirth, W. Michael Crowe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tileable, low-cost image sensor array suitable for creating very large images (e.g., >1 gigapixel). The optical system can also be used to combine low resolution displays to create very high-resolution images (e.g., >1 gigapixel). It includes at least one beam splitter, a pair of sensor arrays and a mirroring means (physical mirror or electronic/digital mirroring algorithm). With 10 megapixel image sensors, four arrays 6×6 image sensors would provide a gigapixel image. For 48 megapixel image sensors, four array of 3×3 image sensors would provide a gigapixel image. The design of the image sensor arrays, when factoring in mirroring of the image array sensors, allows for the images to be stitched together to form a composite image.
Claims20
A tileable array image sensor comprising:
- a first beam splitter, which receives light, and transmits a portion of that light and reflects a portion of that light from first and second surfaces thereof, respectively;
- a first image sensor array of image sensors spaced-apart in a first direction having a first field of view positioned near the first surface of the first beam splitter, to receive the transmitted light from the beam splitter, and to generate a first set of images;
- a second image sensor array of image sensors spaced-apart in the first direction having a second field of view positioned near the second surface of the beam splitter, to receive the reflected light from the first beam splitter, and to generate a second set of images;
- a mirror means to mirror light to, or digitally mirror the second set of images with respect to, the second field of view of the second image sensor array,
- wherein positions of the image sensors in the second image sensor array, factoring in the effect of the mirror means, generally correspond to spaces between the adjacent image sensors in the first image sensor array in the first direction when their respective fields of view are superimposed and aligned;
- and
- an image processor configured to:
- obtain first and second sets of images from the first and second image sensor arrays, respectively;
- align and superimpose the first set of images and the second set of images factoring in the effect of the mirror means;
- and
- combine the aligned superimposed images to generate a composite image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.