Imaging Device Collimating Light to Reduce Processing Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
The image processing load is heavy in existing imaging devices, such as multi-band cameras, due to issues like astigmatism, coma aberration, chromatic aberration, and distortion, which require complex correction processes and increase processing demands.
Innovation Solution
An imaging device with a front optical system that collimates light into a parallel flux, a two-dimensionally arrayed optical element array, a small lens array with positive refractive power, and a picture element capturing object images on focal planes, allowing for reduced image processing load by eliminating parallax and aberrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a prism is used to deflect non-parallel luminous flux in different directions, then multiple object images can be formed on different image forming positions, but astigmatism, coma aberration, and chromatic aberration are generated causing image quality to drop
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system is divided into multiple independent small lens units arranged in an array, with each small lens forming an independent object image. This segmentation allows each lens to operate independently without introducing aberrations, while collectively providing multi-band imaging capability through spectral filters associated with each lens unit.
Solution Approach 2:
A movable focusing lens group is introduced as an intermediary component between the object and the small lens array. This focusing lens group collimates the luminous flux from the object before it reaches the small lenses, eliminating the need for complex aberration correction while enabling sharp imaging at various object distances.
2Measurement precision
If a wedge prism is used to deflect luminous flux, then spectral separation is achieved, but anamorphic distortion and different projection magnifications are generated requiring complex distortion correction processing
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical/optical distortion correction process is replaced by a simplified optical design where parallel luminous flux is used throughout the system. By eliminating the wedge prism and using only parallel incident light on the small lens array, anamorphic distortion is prevented at the optical level, reducing processing complexity to basic image combination.
3Productivity
If a small lens array is disposed immediately after the object image, then multiple object images are formed with spectral filters, but parallax occurs and changes with object distance requiring more image processing
Solution Approach 1:
The focusing lens group performs preliminary collimation of the luminous flux before it reaches the small lens array. This preliminary action ensures that parallel light reaches each small lens regardless of object distance, eliminating parallax effects and allowing the small lenses to form images at a fixed plane without complex processing.
4Ease of manufacture
If multiple cameras with identical specifications are arrayed to create a multi-band camera, then the system is simple to manufacture, but focusing must be adjusted for each camera which is troublesome
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple camera functions are merged into a single integrated system with a shared focusing lens group that serves all small lens units simultaneously. This unified focusing mechanism eliminates the need for individual focusing adjustment for each camera, while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the use of identical small lens units.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution decreases the image processing load, improves image quality by eliminating parallax and aberrations, and enables efficient use of image information without generating dead angles, thus simplifying the processing and focusing mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
the front optical system transmits the light from the focused object to collimate the light into a parallel luminous flux
Implementation Method 2
a small lens array that is constituted by a plurality of small lenses, which is two-dimensionally arrayed along a plane perpendicular to the optical axis and has positive refractive power, that transmits the light from the plurality of optical elements via the plurality of small lenses respectively, and that forms a plurality of object images
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an imaging device (1) having: a front optical system (10) that transmits light from an object; a spectral filter array (20) that transmits light from the front optical system (10) via a plurality of spectral filters; a small lens array (30) that transmits the light from the plurality of spectral filters via a plurality of small lenses respectively, and forms a plurality of object images; a picture element (50) that captures the plurality of object images respectively; and an image processor (60) that determines two-dimensional spectral information on the object images based on image signals output from the picture element (50). The front optical system (10) is configured to transmit the light from the focused object to collimate the light into a parallel luminous flux.