Lens Array Light Field Capture Resolution Trade-off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image pickup apparatuses that capture light fields face a trade-off between spatial resolution and the need to store parallax information, leading to deteriorated resolution compared to devices capturing only two-dimensional light intensity distributions.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a lens array with a specific configuration where the image-side conjugate plane and the image pickup element are conjugate, allowing for a predetermined conditional expression that optimizes the pixel shift effect to achieve high-resolution light field capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a lens array is used to capture light field information including parallax, then depth information and focus control are improved, but spatial resolution deteriorates due to pixel allocation for parallax data
Solution Approach 1:
The image pickup element is divided into multiple regions, with specific pixels assigned to capture parallax information from different lateral positions. This segmentation allows simultaneous capture of both 2D light intensity distribution and 3D parallax data without requiring a complete lens array, thereby maintaining spatial resolution while enabling light field functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The image pickup element serves multiple functions: it captures both the 2D light intensity distribution and the 3D parallax information using the same sensor array. By making the sensor multi-functional through strategic pixel assignment rather than adding separate sensors, the system achieves light field capabilities without the resolution loss that would come from dedicating separate pixels exclusively to parallax measurement
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple small images are reconstructed to achieve high resolution through pixel shift effect, then image resolution is improved, but the specific configuration requirements increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes specific conditional expressions that define the optimal relationships between lens array parameters (focal length, pitch, position) and image pickup element parameters (pixel pitch, active region positions). By changing and optimizing these parameters according to the formulated conditions, the system achieves high-resolution reconstruction through pixel shift effect while simplifying the configuration process, as the parameters can be selected from defined ranges rather than requiring complex trial-and-error adjustments
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
This configuration enhances spatial resolution by overlapping the angle of field from each small lens, enabling high-resolution image reconstruction while minimizing sensitivity to errors and aberrations, thus improving the overall image quality.
Implementation Method 1
a lens array that includes a plurality of lens cells and that is disposed so that an image-side conjugate plane of a main lens unit and an image pickup element are conjugate to each other
Data Source
AI summary
An image pickup apparatus (301) includes an image pickup element (103), a lens unit (101) configured to collect a ray from an object (201) on an image-side conjugate plane (202), and a lens array (102) that includes a plurality of lens cells, and that is disposed so that the image-side conjugate plane (202) and the image pickup element (103) are conjugate to each other, and the lens array (102) is disposed so as to meet a predetermined conditional expression.