Constant-Sidelobe Optical Element for Aspect-Mismatched Imaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional imaging devices struggle to reconstruct captured images of scenes with aspect ratios significantly different from the image sensor, leading to quality deterioration.
Innovation Solution
An imaging device using a line or area sensor with a mismatched aspect ratio, combined with an optical element featuring a predetermined pattern with a periodic autocorrelation function having a sharp peak and constant side lobes, allows for efficient reconstruction of images without quality loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an image sensor with the same aspect ratio as the scene is used, then the aspect ratio matching is maintained, but the device complexity increases and calibration is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the key parameter of the optical element's autocorrelation function from conventional designs to one with constant side lobes. This parameter change enables the system to tolerate aspect ratio mismatches between scene and sensor without requiring calibration, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining reconstruction quality and reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent deliberately introduces asymmetry by allowing the aspect ratio of the image sensor to differ from that of the scene. Instead of forcing matching aspect ratios, the invention designs an asymmetric solution where the optical element's autocorrelation function compensates for the mismatch, eliminating calibration requirements while maintaining reconstruction quality
2Device complexity
If an image sensor with a different aspect ratio from the scene is used, then the device configuration is simplified, but image reconstruction quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the autocorrelation function parameters of the optical element to have constant side lobes. This parameter modification enables high-quality image reconstruction even when the image sensor has a different aspect ratio from the scene, thus resolving the contradiction between configuration simplicity and reconstruction quality
Solution Approach 2:
The optical element designed with constant side lobe autocorrelation function achieves universal applicability across different aspect ratio configurations. A single optical element design can handle various scene-sensor aspect ratio mismatches without requiring recalibration or redesign, making the system multi-functional and simplifying the overall configuration
3Ease of manufacture
If a conventional optical element with non-constant side lobes is used, then manufacturing is easier, but measurement precision of the autocorrelation function decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise parameters for the autocorrelation function, particularly the constant side lobe characteristic. This parameter specification guides the manufacturing process to create optical elements with the desired autocorrelation properties, achieving both manufacturability and high measurement precision in the autocorrelation function
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an imaging device (100) including: a line sensor or an area sensor (50) having an aspect ratio different from that of a scene; and an optical element (10) having a predetermined pattern and superimposed on the line sensor or the area sensor, wherein in the optical element, an autocorrelation function of the predetermined pattern including a plurality of basic patterns repeated while being periodically positionally displaced has a peak and side lobes, and the side lobes are constant or substantially constant.