Wide-field of view (FOV) imaging devices with active foveation capability

A foveated imaging system, capable of capturing a wide field of view image and a foveated image, where the foveated image is a controllable region of interest of the wide field of view image, the system comprising:

• a. an objective lens, facing an external scene, configured to receive incoming light from an external scene and to focus the light upon a beamsplitter;
• b. a beamsplitter, configured to split the incoming light from the external scene into a wide field of view imaging path and a foveated imaging path;
• c. the wide field of view imaging path comprising:
• i. a first stop, separate from the objective lens, which limits the amount of light received in the wide field of view path from the beamsplitter;
• ii. a wide field of view imaging lens, different from the objective lens and configured to receive light from the first stop and form a wide field view image on a wide field of view imaging sensor;
• iii. a wide field of view imaging sensor, configured to receive light from the wide field of view imaging lens;
• d. the foveated imaging path consisting of:
• i. a second stop, which limits the amount of light received in the foveated imaging path from the beamsplitter;
• ii. a scanning mirror, the scanning mirror being a multi-axis movable mirror configured to reflect the light from the beamsplitter;
• iii. a reflective surface, disposed upon the beamsplitter, configured to direct light reflected by the scanning mirror;
• iv. a foveated imaging lens, configured to receive a portion of the light, associated with a region of interest of the external scene, from the scanning mirror, and form a foveated image on a foveated imaging sensor;
• and
• v. a foveated imaging sensor, configured to receive light from the foveated imaging lens,
• wherein the incoming light from the external scene passes through the objective lens-to the beamsplitter,
• wherein the beamsplitter divides the light into the two optical paths, the wide field of view imaging path and the foveated imaging path,
• wherein the light passes through the first stop to the wide field of view imaging lens-along the wide field of view imaging path,
• wherein the wide field of view imaging lens focuses the wide field of view image upon the wide field of view imaging sensor,
• wherein the light passes through the second stop to the scanning mirror along the foveated imaging path,
• wherein the scanning mirror reflects a region of interest toward the foveated imaging lens through the reflective surface on the beam splitter,
• wherein the foveated imaging lens focuses the foveated image upon the foveated imaging sensor, and
• wherein the two images are recorded by the wide field of view and foveated sensors, a wide field of view image and a higher resolution image of the region of interest within it.