Imaging module and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides an imaging module and electronic equipment, and belongs to the technical field of photoelectric imaging, and the imaging module comprises a polarization modulation unit which is provided with a plurality of linear polarizers with different polarization directions and is used for modulating multiple paths of independently transmitted split light beams into linearly polarized light with different polarization directions; the optical filter mask unit comprises a plurality of optical filter masks, each optical filter mask corresponds to one linear polarizer, and the optical filter masks are used for performing multi-band filtering on the corresponding linear polarized light and outputting a plurality of spectral polarized light beams with different wavelengths; and the imaging unit is used for imaging based on the plurality of spectral polarized beams. More photon information can be obtained through single exposure, so that a final image comprises richer optical information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of optoelectronic imaging technology, and in particular to an imaging module and electronic equipment. Background Art

[0002] Imaging modules are core components of modern optical imaging equipment. Their performance directly determines the image acquisition capability and quality, and they are widely used in security monitoring, scientific observation, and night vision technology. Especially in critical equipment such as night vision devices, which operate in extreme low-light environments (such as at night, underwater, in fog, or in low-light indoor scenes), improving the imaging module's sensitivity, spatial resolution, and multi-dimensional information acquisition capabilities are crucial for enhancing target recognition effectiveness.

[0003] The core imaging module of traditional night vision devices mainly relies on passive enhancement of weak ambient light or infrared radiation emitted by the target object itself for detection and imaging. This conventional imaging mode based on light intensity information often faces limitations such as insufficient contrast and difficulty in identifying details in complex environments or when the target is camouflaged. However, the polarization information contained in light waves is another key physical dimension besides intensity information. It can significantly reveal the unique optical characteristics of the target surface, such as material properties, microstructure (such as texture and roughness), geometric orientation, and internal stress distribution. Compared with simple light intensity images, these polarization features show significant advantages in improving the distinction between targets and backgrounds, enhancing edge contours, suppressing specific glare (such as reflections from water and metal surfaces), and identifying camouflage.

[0004] Therefore, in the field of night vision imaging, effectively acquiring and utilizing the polarization information of light is the key to breaking through the existing technical bottleneck and significantly improving the night vision system's ability to detect and identify targets in complex environments. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides an imaging module and an electronic device, which are capable of acquiring more photon information through a single exposure, so that the final image includes richer optical information.

[0006] The technical solution of the present disclosure is achieved as follows: In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an imaging module, which includes: a polarization modulation unit, which is provided with multiple linear polarizers with different polarization directions, and is used to modulate multiple independently transmitted split light beams into linear polarized light with different polarization directions; a filter mask unit, which includes multiple filter masks, each filter mask corresponds to a linear polarizer, and the filter mask is used to perform multi-band filtering on the corresponding linear polarized light, and output multiple spectral polarized light beams with different wavelengths; an imaging unit, which is used to perform imaging based on the multiple spectral polarized light beams.

[0007] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an electronic device comprising the imaging module of the first aspect.

[0008] The present disclosure provides an imaging module; through the coordinated optical path design of a polarization modulation unit, a filter mask unit and an imaging unit, it is ensured that each split light beam retains complete original spectral information before reaching the polarization modulation unit. During a single exposure, each split beam undergoes polarization modulation and multi-band filtering, modulated by N independent linear polarizers to generate linearly polarized light with N polarization directions. This light then passes through the M spectral filtering regions of the corresponding filter mask, outputting N×M independent channels of spectrally polarized light. Each channel contains a unique combination of polarization state and spectral characteristics. For example, with three polarization directions and three filtering bands, a single split beam can capture 3×3=9 independent information channels. A single exposure of three split beams generates a total of 27 sets of combined polarization and spectral data, enabling efficient capture and utilization of photon information. This allows a single-frame image to contain richer information reflecting the target's essential optical properties than traditional single-band and non-polarization imaging. This includes improved representation of the target's surface microstructure (such as texture and micromorphology) and enhanced contours at object boundaries (such as the interface between different materials and the edges of complex structures). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of an imaging module provided by the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 2 A structural block diagram of an imaging module including a spectrometer provided by the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an exemplary optical splitting unit provided in the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a structural block diagram of an imaging unit provided by the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a structural block diagram of another imaging unit provided by the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the filtering principle of the filter mask provided by the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 7 This is a structural block diagram of another imaging unit provided by the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 8 A structural block diagram of an imaging module including an image-space telecentric objective lens provided by the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an exemplary image-space telecentric objective lens provided in the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 10A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an exemplary traditional objective lens provided in the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an imaging module provided by the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following will be combined with the drawings in this disclosure to clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the embodiments described are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0021] The core imaging modules of traditional night vision devices usually do not have the ability to obtain polarization information. Even if polarization technology is used in some large and complex professional polarization imaging equipment (such as scientific research-grade polarization cameras and some military reconnaissance equipment), its implementation relies on high-precision rotating mechanical devices (such as rotating polarizer mechanisms). By collecting multiple images of the target scene at different polarization angles in a time-sharing manner, a polarization image sequence is formed. The complete polarization information of the target scene is calculated from this image sequence through complex back-end image processing algorithms.

[0022] However, polarization imaging methods, which collect images of a target scene at different polarization angles in a time-sharing manner, require rotating the polarizer and sequentially capturing multiple images. This process is time-consuming (typically hundreds of milliseconds or even seconds). This delay prevents the imaging device from capturing transient scene changes. For high-speed moving targets or rapidly changing polarization information, motion artifacts and spatiotemporal mismatches result, leading to distorted reconstructed data. Furthermore, the rotation mechanism requires a precision motor and control system, which increases the size, weight, and complexity of the imaging device.

[0023] Furthermore, in scenarios involving dynamic target detection (such as high-speed moving target tracking) and imaging in extremely low-light environments (such as night vision and deep-space observation), the information dimensionality density of a single exposure becomes a key determinant of system performance. Compared to time-sharing acquisition schemes, single exposures can avoid registration errors caused by timing misalignment, ensuring spatiotemporal consistency. Furthermore, the synchronized capture mechanism maximizes the utilization of limited photon resources and improves photon efficiency, which is crucial in photon-limited scenarios (such as night vision). Therefore, it is crucial to utilize the polarization information of light and ensure that a single exposure captures more photon information.

[0024] The present disclosure provides an imaging module, which aims to obtain more photon information through a single exposure, so that the final image includes richer optical information. The imaging module provided by the present disclosure is described in detail below through specific embodiments and their application scenarios in combination with the accompanying drawings.

[0025] like Figure 1As shown, the imaging module includes a polarization modulation unit 10, a filter mask unit 11 and an imaging unit 12. Along the light transmission path, the arrangement order of the various units is polarization modulation unit 10, filter mask unit 11, imaging unit 12.

[0026] The polarization modulation unit 10 is provided with linear polarizers 1 to N (N is an integer greater than 1) with different polarization directions. Each linear polarizer is used to modulate at least one independently transmitted split beam into linearly polarized light with a different polarization direction. The N linear polarizers are arranged in parallel, independently of each other and without overlap.

[0027] When multiple split beams at different angles are incident on a linear polarizer, they cannot all be incident perpendicularly. The difference in incident angles can cause the effective polarization axis to shift (Brewster effect), causing the characteristic peak to shift, leading to misjudgment. Therefore, in some embodiments, each linear polarizer corresponds to one split beam and is placed in the optical path of the split beam. Figure 1 The linear polarizers 1 to N shown in the figure are used to modulate N independently transmitted sub-beams into linearly polarized light with N polarization directions. One independently transmitted sub-beam corresponds to one linear polarizer. This arrangement ensures that each sub-beam can be incident on the linear polarizer in an approximately vertical manner. Figure 1 The independent partial beams incident on each linear polarizer are represented by two solid lines with arrows.

[0028] The independently transmitted sub-beams can be obtained by splitting the incident light into multiple independent sub-beams in any way, such as the incident light directly covering the entire polarization modulation unit 10, and ensuring that each linear polarizer only receives the sub-beam of the corresponding light path through optical isolation design, wherein the optical isolation design is such as setting a light-shielding wall between adjacent linear polarizers.

[0029] Linear polarizers are optical components made of birefringent materials (such as iodine-based polarizing films or wire-grid structures), with the transmission axis defined as the polarization direction. Each linear polarizer has a unique, fixed polarization direction (e.g., 0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, etc.), and is used to convert incident light into linearly polarized light with a specific polarization direction. For example, if N = 4, and the polarization directions of the four linear polarizers are 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135°, respectively, then after the four split beams pass through the corresponding linear polarizers, the resulting four linearly polarized beams have polarization directions of 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135°, respectively.

[0030] The filter mask unit 11 includes filter masks 1 to N. Each filter mask corresponds to a linear polarizer, that is, linear polarizer 1 corresponds to filter mask 1, linear polarizer 2 corresponds to filter mask 2, and so on, linear polarizer N corresponds to filter mask N. Each filter mask is used to perform multi-band filtering on the linearly polarized light emitted from the corresponding linear polarizer, and output multiple spectrally polarized light beams with different wavelengths. Figure 1 Different dashed arrows represent spectrally polarized light beams with different wavelengths.

[0031] A filter mask is a transmissive optical device that integrates a multi-channel spectral filtering structure. Each filter mask can contain multiple spectral filtering regions, each coated with a specific film system to achieve multi-band filtering, essentially splitting a single incident beam into multiple sub-beams of varying wavelengths. The spectral filtering regions included in multiple filter masks can be identical, partially identical, or completely different. The number of spectral filtering regions within each filter mask can also be the same or different, depending on actual needs.

[0032] It should be noted that the specific film system coated in different spectral filtering areas can be a bandpass film layer, a short-pass film layer, or a long-pass film layer. The specific setting is based on actual design needs and will not be elaborated here.

[0033] A spectrally polarized beam refers to a beam output after polarization modulation and multi-band filtering, which has both a certain polarization state (linear polarization direction) and a certain spectral characteristic (specific wavelength or band).

[0034] Exemplarily, filter mask 1 transmits light with wavelengths of 450nm, 550nm, and 650nm; filter mask 2 transmits light with wavelengths of 470nm, 570nm, and 630nm; filter mask 3 transmits light with wavelengths of 490nm, 590nm, and 610nm; if the incident light beam of filter mask 1 is 30° linearly polarized light, the output light beam includes: three light beams with a polarization direction of 30° and wavelengths of 450nm, 550nm, and 650nm respectively; if the incident light beam of filter mask 2 is 45° linearly polarized light, the output light beam includes: three light beams with a polarization direction of 45° and wavelengths of 470nm, 570nm, and 630nm respectively; if the incident light beam of filter mask 3 is 90° linearly polarized light, the output light beam includes: three light beams with a polarization direction of 90° and wavelengths of 490nm, 590nm, and 610nm respectively.

[0035] The imaging unit 12 is configured to perform imaging based on the multiple spectrally polarized light beams. The imaging unit 12 converts the multiple spectrally polarized light beams into multiple electrical signals and then fuses them to obtain a final image.

[0036] For example, taking N as 3 and each filter mask including 3 identical spectral filtering areas, for each split beam, after passing through 3 linear polarizers, linear polarized light in 3 polarization directions is obtained, which are recorded as linear polarized light in polarization state 1, linear polarized light in polarization state 2, and linear polarized light in polarization state 3; the linear polarized light in each polarization direction obtains light beams of 3 wavelength bands after passing through the filter mask, such as linear polarized light in polarization state 1 with wavelength 1, linear polarized light in polarization state 1 with wavelength 2, and linear polarized light in polarization state 1 with wavelength 3, that is, each split beam can obtain 3×3 spectrally polarized light beams with different wavelengths and polarization states, thereby obtaining 9 images containing different information, and 3 independently transmitted light paths can obtain 27 images containing different information.

[0037] Furthermore, compared to related techniques that place filters at the very front of the optical path, forcing the incident light to be separated into discrete wavelengths and losing full spectral continuity, the light transmission path disclosed herein is from the polarization modulation unit 10 to the filter mask unit 11 and then to the imaging unit 12. Each light beam retains its complete spectral information before reaching the polarization modulation unit 10. The filter mask unit 11 at the rear end only performs wavelength selection on a localized region of a single light beam, allowing a single exposure to retain more information combinations.

[0038] The present disclosure ensures that each split beam retains its complete original spectral information before reaching the polarization modulation unit 10 through the coordinated optical path design of the polarization modulation unit 10, the filter mask unit 11, and the imaging unit 12. During a single exposure, each split beam undergoes polarization modulation and multi-band filtering in sequence. It is modulated by N independent linear polarizers to generate linearly polarized light with N polarization directions. It then passes through the M spectral filtering areas of the corresponding filter mask to output N×M independent channels of spectrally polarized beams. Each channel contains a unique combination of polarization state and spectral characteristics. For example, taking three polarization directions and three filtering bands as an example, a single split beam can obtain 3×3=9 independent information channels. A single exposure of three split beams generates a total of 27 sets of polarization and spectral combined data, achieving efficient capture and utilization of photon information. As a result, a single-frame image contains richer information reflecting the essential optical properties of the target than traditional single-band and non-polarized imaging, such as improving the expression of the target's surface microstructure (such as texture and micromorphology) and enhancing the contours of the object's boundaries (such as the junction of different materials and the edges of complex structures).

[0039] Since the light shielding wall in the optical isolation design causes the incident light to be blocked and wasted by the mechanical structure, the light shielding wall may also have mechanical shadows. Figure 2 As shown, the imaging module also includes: a splitting unit 13 arranged on a side of the polarization modulation unit 10 away from the filter mask unit 11 along the optical path direction, for splitting the incident light into multiple split light beams and guiding the multiple split light beams to each polarization modulation unit 10.

[0040] The light splitting unit 13 distributes the incident light to each light path by total reflection or transmission, and has high energy utilization rate. Figure 3 The figure shows an exemplary three-way splitting principle diagram. The splitting unit 13 is composed of a first-stage cubic beam splitter prism 301, a second-stage cubic beam splitter prism 302, and a third-stage cubic beam splitter prism 303. The solid line with the arrow indicates the direction of light propagation. The incident light is transmitted through the first-stage cubic beam splitter prism 301, the second-stage cubic beam splitter prism 302, and the third-stage cubic beam splitter prism 303 in sequence to obtain a split beam 1; the incident light is reflected twice by the first-stage cubic beam splitter prism 301 to obtain a split beam 2; the incident light transmitted from the first-stage cubic beam splitter prism 301 is reflected twice by the second-stage cubic beam splitter prism 302 to obtain a split beam 3. It should be noted that the three-way split beam is only an example. In practice, the combination of prisms can be adjusted as needed to divide the beam into any number of split beams. Compared with the optical isolation design, it can reduce occlusion and avoid shadows. The splitting unit 13 can also be any optical element capable of splitting, such as an arrayed waveguide grating, a photonic crystal beam splitter, etc.

[0041] In some embodiments, as Figure 4 As shown, the imaging unit 12 includes: a detector module 121, the detector module 121 includes a plurality of sub-detectors, Figure 4 Subdetectors 1 through N are shown in the figure; each subdetector corresponds one-to-one to a spectrally polarized light beam. That is, a subdetector is placed after each filter mask along the optical path. Each subdetector is used to convert the corresponding spectrally polarized light beam into an electrical signal, thereby generating an image based on the electrical signal. A subdetector is an independent photoelectric conversion device that converts an incident spectrally polarized light beam into an electrical signal.

[0042] The materials and structures of each independent detector can be optimized for specific wavelengths. For example, the ultraviolet band uses a back-illuminated CCD, and the mid-wave infrared (3μm-5μm) is equipped with a cooled InSb detector. Each independent detector can be made of different materials, breaking through the limitations of a single silicon-based material and achieving full spectrum coverage from 200nm to 14μm.

[0043] In some embodiments, as Figure 5 As shown, the imaging unit 12 includes: a detector module 121, which is an integrated single detector including multiple photosensitive areas. Figure 5 The photosensitive area 1 to the photosensitive area N are shown in the figure; each photosensitive area corresponds to a spectral polarized light beam one by one, that is, each photosensitive area records a spectral polarized light beam, and each photosensitive area is used to convert the corresponding spectral polarized light beam into an electrical signal and form an image based on the electrical signal.

[0044] A single detector's global shutter controls simultaneous exposure of all pixels (with zero timing error within the specified tolerance range). Its compact size makes it suitable for head-mounted devices. In practice, depending on the application scenario, a multi-sub detector can be selected if a wide spectrum needs to be detected, while a single detector can be selected if a compact and lightweight design is desired.

[0045] In some embodiments, as Figure 6 As shown, each filter mask includes multiple spectral filtering areas. Figure 6 In the example, a filter mask is shown, which includes spectral filter area 1, spectral filter area 2 and spectral filter area 3. Different spectral filter areas are represented by different filling patterns. Different spectral filter areas correspond to different spectral transmittance curves, that is, after a line of polarized light passes through a filter mask, it outputs multiple spectral polarized light beams with different wavelengths, such as Figure 6 The output beams of different spectral polarizations are represented by different arrow lines. The transmittance curves of all spectra included in each filter mask are complementary.

[0046] The spectral filtering area refers to the independent coating blocks on the filter mask surface divided by the photolithography process. The film design of each block determines its unique spectral transmittance curve. When linearly polarized light passes through different blocks, it is separated into spectrally polarized beams with different wavelength components.

[0047] The spectral transmittance curve represents the transmittance function of the spectral filter area for light of a specific wavelength, and the curve characteristics are determined by the film stacking structure.

[0048] Complementary spectral transmittance curves refer to the combined coverage of the target continuous spectrum by the transmittance curves of all spectral filtering regions within each filter mask. This means that the wavelengths of all spectrally polarized beams corresponding to each filter mask completely cover the target continuous spectrum, where the target continuous spectrum refers to at least one continuous wavelength range that is desired to be captured. Furthermore, the target continuous spectra corresponding to all filter masks can be the same or different.

[0049] Exemplarily, the target continuous spectrum covers the spectral range of 250nm-700nm and is divided into three complementary filtering areas. The spectral transmittance curve of spectral filtering area 1 indicates a bandpass filtering of 320nm with a bandwidth of ±70nm; the spectral transmittance curve of spectral filtering area 2 indicates a bandpass filtering of 490nm with a bandwidth of ±100nm; the spectral transmittance curve of spectral filtering area 3 indicates a bandpass filtering of 645nm with a bandwidth of ±55nm; the three spectral filtering areas cover the spectral range of 250nm-700nm.

[0050] Compared to directly collecting unfiltered spectra, all wavelengths are aliased and superimposed, and the electrical signal output by the detector is the integrated value of the energy of all wavelengths. Physically, it is impossible to distinguish the contributions of different wavelength components. For example, two beams of light with different spectra may produce the same electrical signal. Light A: 450nm blue light (intensity 100), Light B: 450nm blue light (intensity 50) and 550nm green light (intensity 50). Then the output electrical signals of Light A and Light B are exactly the same, and the spectral resolution capability is lost. For example, if the incident light contains a mixture of 450nm, 550nm, and 650nm white light, the detector outputs a single value, and it is impossible to obtain the contribution of each wavelength to the final output.

[0051] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the incident linearly polarized light is projected to different spatial positions according to wavelength partitions, and each spectral filtering area outputs a light beam in a specific wavelength range. After all spectral filtering areas are combined, the target continuous spectrum is completely covered, and both spatial resolution and spectral resolution capabilities are achieved.

[0052] Moreover, the target continuous spectrum has lower noise than the unfiltered spectrum, and can effectively capture light signals with weaker intensity. For example, in solar spectrum measurement, the intensity of the ultraviolet band is only 1 / 100 of that of visible light. Without filtering, the ultraviolet light is drowned by the visible light. In this solution, a corresponding spectral filtering area is set for the ultraviolet light to ensure that weak light will not be lost.

[0053] The disclosed embodiments maximize the preservation of continuous spectral information and capture high-dimensional information. Wavebands not selected in one spectral filter region may still be recorded in other spectral filter regions. By complementing multiple optical paths, the final output can cover a continuous or quasi-continuous spectrum, thereby approximately preserving the desired target continuous spectral information.

[0054] In some embodiments, the filter mask unit 11 is configured to adjust the spectral transmittance curve corresponding to each spectral filtering area based on the received filter adjustment signal.

[0055] The filter adjustment signal refers to the electrical or optical modulation instruction applied to the filter mask, which is used to dynamically control the spectral transmittance characteristics of each spectral filter area (including parameters such as center wavelength, bandwidth, and peak transmittance).

[0056] Specifically, an electrostatically driven micromirror array may be integrated below the spectral filtering area, and the filter adjustment signal may be a voltage signal (e.g., 0V to 10V). The control mechanism is that the voltage changes the inclination angle of the micromirror, and the effective incident angle of the incident linearly polarized light on the multilayer film changes, thereby causing the central wavelength to shift. For example, for every 1V increase in voltage, the central wavelength blue-shifts by approximately 2.5nm.

[0057] The spectral filter region may be integrated with a Ge2Sb2Te2 phase change film, and the filter adjustment signal may be a short pulse laser (such as 1550nm, 10ns) to induce an amorphous phase transition, in which the short-wave infrared transmittance in the amorphous state is low, and the transmittance in the visible light band is high; the filter adjustment signal may be a long-term thermal radiation (such as 100℃, 1s) to induce a crystallization phase transition, in which the short-wave infrared transmittance in the crystalline state is high, and the transmittance in the visible light band is low.

[0058] The spectral filtering area may be embedded in a nematic liquid crystal layer, the filtering adjustment signal may be a voltage signal (such as 0V to 12V), and the control mechanism may be that the electric field changes the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, causing the equivalent refractive index to change (such as the refractive index change is 0.18 to 0.24), thereby adjusting the optical thickness of the Fabry-Perot cavity and causing the central wavelength to shift (such as adjusting the central wavelength from 550nm to 700nm).

[0059] In this way, the filtering band can be dynamically adjusted according to the optical characteristics of the detection target without replacing the filter mask unit 11.

[0060] In some embodiments, as Figure 7 As shown, the imaging unit 12 further includes: an image processor 122; the image processor 122 is used to convert multi-channel electrical signals into multi-channel image data; adopt a dynamic weight allocation strategy to perform weighted fusion processing on the multi-channel image data to obtain a fused image.

[0061] Image processor 122 receives multiple electrical signals, each with a different polarization state and wavelength. Wavelength information is converted into pixel brightness values, and polarization information is converted into pixel-wise texture. The electrical signals are arranged in the pixel array of detector module 121, with each channel independently forming an image. Each pixel is represented as pixel at coordinate (x, y) = {wavelength intensity value, polarization angle value} The dynamic weight allocation strategy dynamically calculates the weight coefficients of each channel based on the real-time quality characteristics of multi-channel image data. Its core function is to evaluate the reliability of each channel's image data in real time. For example, in areas with high signal-to-noise, the weights of channels with less environmental interference are increased; in areas with strong motion, the weights of channels prone to smearing are suppressed; and in areas with prominent features, the weights of channels carrying key information (such as heat sources) are increased. Pixels from each channel at the same spatial coordinate are weighted and fused to produce the final fused image.

[0062] For example, the application scenario is nighttime jungle surveillance, including situations where moonlight is obscured by clouds, mist is pervasive, and a moving object carrying a metal instrument is detected. The information carried by each signal channel is as follows: Channel 1, the 540nm band, receives weakly polarized light reflected from leaves (polarization angle 30°); Channel 2, the 850nm band, captures reflections from a gun barrel (polarization angle 80°); and Channel 3, the 1550nm band, detects human thermal radiation (unpolarized). The resulting image A (green light) is a low-brightness leaf image with 30° diagonal texture; Image B (near-infrared) shows a bright metal instrument outline with dense 80° vertical stripes; and Image C (shortwave infrared) shows a red spot of a human heat source with no directional texture. In open areas, moonlight enhances the signal-to-noise ratio of the green light channel, increasing its weight to 55%, while mist reduces the reliability of the near-infrared channel, reducing its weight to 25%. In shaded areas, the heat source is a valid signal, and the short-wave infrared channel weight increases to 60%. For target motion identification, the fast-moving metal instrument produces a trailing shadow, and the near-infrared channel weight decreases to 15%. In the fused image after weighted fusion, the leaf area is dominated by the green light channel (55% weight), showing delicate texture, the outline of the metal instrument is suppressed by the near-infrared weight (15% weight), eliminating motion blur, and the moving object is enhanced by the short-wave infrared (60% weight) and appears as a bright red block (moving objects blocked by cover can also be discovered).

[0063] In this disclosed embodiment, wavelength and polarization information are dynamically fused. Polarization information is converted into directional visual features and combined with wavelength information to significantly enhance the physical characteristics of concealed targets, such as metal surface reflections and biological thermal radiation. A dynamic weighting algorithm, in real time, perceives environmental interference and target motion, adaptively adjusting the contribution of each channel, effectively overcoming the blurring of details and sudden drops in signal-to-noise ratio that often occur in traditional imaging. The resulting fused image simultaneously preserves the material's microscopic texture and macroscopic thermal distribution.

[0064] In some embodiments, as Figure 8 As shown, the imaging module includes an image-space telecentric objective lens 14. The image-space telecentric objective lens 14 is used to adjust incident light from any object-side field angle so that the principal ray in the image-space is parallel to the optical axis. Parallel to the optical axis means parallel to the optical axis within a preset parallel error tolerance range. For example, if the preset parallel error tolerance range is [-1, 1], the principal ray after adjustment is considered parallel to the optical axis if the angle between the principal ray and the optical axis is within 1°.

[0065] The object space is the space in which the subject is located, encompassing all incident light sources. The image space is the space in which the optical components are located, encompassing the outgoing light rays after refraction and reflection by the optical components. The principal ray is the ray that originates from an off-axis object point in the object space and passes through the center of the aperture stop. The principal ray represents the energy center of the beam. The field of view is the angle between the optical axis and the line connecting the object point at the edge of the object space and the center of the objective lens entrance pupil.

[0066] For example, Figure 9 As shown, the image-side telecentric objective lens 14 includes a first meniscus lens 141, a second meniscus lens 142, a first doublet lens 143, a second doublet lens 144, a third meniscus lens 145, and a biconvex lens 146. The left side of the dotted line of the image-side telecentric objective lens 14 is the object side, and the right side is the image side. Various line types represent beams with different field angles.

[0067] like Figure 10 The figure shows an example of an objective lens in related art. Each thin solid line represents a light beam. The principal ray portion on the image side is not parallel to the principal optical axis. This is because the incident angles of light rays from different object fields on the image plane vary after passing through the objective lens. Specifically, principal rays from the peripheral fields away from the principal optical axis are incident on the image plane at a larger angle, while principal rays from the central field close to the optical axis are incident at a nearly perpendicular angle.

[0068] The extinction ratio and transmittance of linear polarizers are extremely sensitive to the angle of incidence. In traditional objectives, the angle between the principal ray and the image plane increases with the field of view. Differences in the angle of incidence across different areas of the linear polarizer lead to inconsistent polarization measurement performance, significantly reducing measurement accuracy. Therefore, to reduce measurement errors, traditional objectives require the addition of collimation elements to compensate for the polarizer's angle sensitivity, but this undoubtedly complicates the system and increases costs.

[0069] The image-space telecentric objective lens employed in this disclosure ensures that all principal rays originating from the object side propagate parallel to the optical axis in the image side. Therefore, regardless of the imaging area, light strikes the linear polarizer located at the image-space telecentric position at a nearly perpendicular angle, ensuring consistent polarization measurement across the entire field of view. Furthermore, the physical thickness of a linear polarizer can alter the optical path in the diverging or converging optical paths of a conventional objective lens, causing aberrations such as field curvature and distortion. The parallel optical path characteristics of the image-space telecentric objective lens minimize the impact of the linear polarizer thickness, generating virtually no additional aberrations and ensuring stable imaging quality.

[0070] For example, Figure 11 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary hardware structure of an imaging module provided by the present disclosure, wherein the image-side telecentric objective lens 14 includes: a first meniscus lens 141, a second meniscus lens 142, a first doublet lens 143, a second doublet lens 144, a third meniscus lens 145, and a biconvex lens 146. The spectroscopic unit 13 includes: a first-stage cubic spectroscopic prism 301, a second-stage cubic spectroscopic prism 302, and a third-stage cubic spectroscopic prism 303; the polarization modulation unit 10 includes linear polarizers 1 to 3; the detector module 121 includes sub-detectors 1 to 3, and filter masks 1 to 3 attached to each sub-detector. Three incident light beams with different field of view angles are represented by line segments of different line types, and the main light finally enters each element at an approximately perpendicular angle.

[0071] The present disclosure also provides an electronic device comprising any of the above-mentioned imaging modules. The electronic device may be any device requiring imaging, such as a night vision device, a terminal device, a camera, or a mobile phone.

[0072] It should be noted that the technical solutions described in this disclosure can be combined arbitrarily without conflict.

[0073] The above description is only a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure, and they should all be covered by the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An imaging module, characterized in that: The imaging module includes: The polarization modulation unit is provided with a plurality of linear polarizers with different polarization directions, and is used to modulate the multiple independently transmitted split light beams into linear polarized lights with different polarization directions; A filter mask unit, comprising a plurality of filter masks, each filter mask corresponding to one of the linear polarizers, the filter mask being used to perform multi-band filtering on the corresponding linearly polarized light and output a plurality of spectrally polarized light beams with different wavelengths; An imaging unit is configured to perform imaging based on the plurality of spectrally polarized light beams.

2. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein: The imaging module further includes: The light splitting unit is arranged on a side of the polarization modulation unit away from the filter mask unit along the light path direction, and is used to split the incident light into multiple light beams and guide the multiple light beams to each polarization modulation unit.

3. The imaging module according to claim 2, wherein: Each linear polarizer corresponds to one of the split light beams and is arranged in the light path of the split light beam.

4. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein: The imaging unit comprises: A detector module, wherein the detector module includes a plurality of sub-detectors; Each of the sub-detectors corresponds to the spectrally polarized light beam on a one-to-one basis, and is configured to convert the corresponding spectrally polarized light beam into an electrical signal, so as to form an image based on the electrical signal.

5. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein: The imaging unit comprises: A detector module, which is an integrated single detector including multiple photosensitive areas; Each of the sub-regions corresponds to the spectrally polarized light beam on a one-to-one basis, and is used to convert the corresponding spectrally polarized light beam into an electrical signal, and to form an image based on the electrical signal.

6. The imaging module according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The imaging unit further includes: an image processor; The image processor is used to convert multi-channel electrical signals into multi-channel image data; A dynamic weight allocation strategy is adopted to perform weighted fusion processing on the multi-channel image data to obtain a fused image.

7. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein: Each filter mask includes a plurality of spectral filtering regions, different spectral filtering regions correspond to different spectral transmittance curves, and all spectral transmittance curves included in each filter mask are complementary.

8. The imaging module according to claim 7, wherein: The filter mask unit is configured to adjust the spectral transmittance curve corresponding to each of the spectral filtering areas based on the received filter adjustment signal.

9. The imaging module according to claim 1, wherein: The imaging module includes: an image-side telecentric objective lens; The image-side telecentric objective lens is used to adjust the principal light incident at any object-side field angle to be parallel to the optical axis in the image-side space.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: An imaging module comprising any one of claims 1 to 9.

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