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US 6,943,946 B2Granted
Multiple aperture imaging system
AssigneeITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
InventorRobert D. Fiete
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multiple aperture imaging system, that includes: a plurality of imaging elements for capturing light; an optical relay assembly for phasing the captured light; a means for diverting the captured light within the multiple aperture imaging system to produce a plurality of images; and an imaging sensor capable of receiving the captured light from each of the plurality of imaging elements.
Claims13
A multiple aperture imaging system comprising:
- a plurality of imaging elements each capturing light of a scene;
- an optical relay assembly for receiving and coherently summing captured light from each of the imaging elements;
- a combiner imaging sensor for receiving the coherently summed captured light from the optical relay assembly;
- a plurality of individual imaging sensors, each individual imaging sensor configured to receive captured light outputted from a respective one of the imaging elements;
- means for diverting the captured light, that is outputted from each of the imaging elements, toward the optical relay assembly and away from the individual imaging sensors;
- and
- a selector for enabling and disabling the means for diverting the captured light outputted from each of the imaging elements;
- wherein (i) when the selector disables the means for diverting the captured light, each individual imaging sensor forms an independent image based on light captured by a respective one of the imaging elements, and
- (ii) when the selector enables the means for diverting the captured light, the combiner imaging sensor coherently sums the captured light from the optical relay assembly to form an image having a higher resolution than another image formed by any one of the individual imaging sensors.
6 more elements
A method of combining multiple imaging components comprising the steps of:
- a) capturing light of a scene using a plurality of imaging elements;
- b) receiving and coherently summing captured light from each of the imaging elements, using an optical relay assembly;
- c) combining the coherently summed captured light from the optical relay assembly to form a combined image;
- d) directing the captured light from the imaging elements to bypass the optical relay assembly toward a plurality of individual imaging sensors;
- e) forming independent images by the individual imaging sensors, when step (d) precedes steps (b) and (c);
- and
- f) forming an enhanced image, when steps (b) and (c) precede step (d).
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.