Light Field Sensor Optical Measurement Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical-characteristics measurement devices are labor-intensive and time-consuming, requiring complex mechanical movements to achieve accurate measurements of reflection, transmission, and refraction characteristics, which limits their ability to perform simple and high-accuracy measurements in a short period.
Innovation Solution
The use of a light field sensor with a light guide unit and photoreceptors allows for simultaneous measurement of light intensities from various directions, reducing the measurement load by guiding and receiving light from different positions and directions, enabling a compact and efficient optical-characteristics measurement device that can measure reflection, transmission, and refraction characteristics without mechanical movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If mechanical scanning is used to measure light from various directions, then measurement accuracy is improved, but measurement time and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical scanning systems with a light field sensor that uses optical fields to simultaneously capture light from multiple directions. The light field sensor includes a microlens array that optically separates light rays based on their incident angles, allowing parallel measurement of multiple viewing directions without mechanical movement, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement accuracy and measurement time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional sequential angular scanning to two-dimensional simultaneous angular measurement by introducing the angular dimension through the microlens array. Each microlens corresponds to a specific incident angle range, and the sensor plane captures spatial information that maps to different viewing angles, enabling simultaneous measurement across multiple directions without mechanical scanning.
2Measurement precision
If mechanical scanning is used to measure light from various directions, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical scanning mechanisms with a static light field sensor comprising a microlens array and sensor plane. This optical system passively captures angular and spatial information simultaneously without requiring motors, actuators, or complex control systems, thereby maintaining measurement accuracy while dramatically reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The light field sensor performs multiple measurement functions simultaneously: it captures spatial position information, incident angle information, and light intensity for multiple directions all in a single static configuration. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate mechanical scanning systems for different measurement parameters, reducing overall device complexity.
3Measurement precision
If mechanical scanning is used to measure light from various directions, then measurement accuracy is improved, but operation simplicity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual or automated mechanical scanning operations with a static light field sensor that automatically captures light from multiple directions simultaneously. The operator simply positions the sensor to face the target, and the microlens array automatically performs the angular decomposition and spatial mapping, making the operation as simple as pointing and measuring while maintaining high measurement accuracy.
4Ease of operation
If the measurement device is made compact, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves compact size by folding the measurement space using the microlens array. Instead of requiring physical separation of sensors for different angles, the optical system maps angular information to spatial positions on a single sensor plane. This allows a compact device to capture light from multiple directions simultaneously, maintaining full measurement capability while improving portability and ease of operation.
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 approach simplifies the device configuration, reduces measurement time, and enhances accuracy, allowing for quick and cost-effective measurement of optical characteristics, such as BRDF, BTDF, and BSDF, without the need for complex mechanical scanning.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide unit which guides light from the sample to different photoreceptors among a plurality of photoreceptors according to a position on the sample and a traveling direction of light from the sample
Implementation Method 2
a light reception sensor which includes a plurality of photoreceptors... each of the plurality of photoreceptors corresponds to a position on the sample and a traveling direction of light from the sample
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are an optical-characteristics measurement device and an optical-characteristics measurement method capable of reducing a measurement load for optical characteristics of a material and performing a simple and high-accuracy measurement in a short period of time. An optical-characteristics measurement device (for example, a BRDF measurement device 11) includes a light irradiation unit (for example, a light source unit 40 and a point light source 42) which irradiates a sample 16 with light, and a light reception unit which receives light from the sample 16. The light reception unit has a light reception sensor (for example, a sensor array 26) including a plurality of photoreceptors, and light guide unit (for example, an imaging lens 25) which guides light from the sample 16 to the light reception sensor. The light guide unit guides light from the sample 16 to different photoreceptors among a plurality of photoreceptors according to the position and traveling direction of light on and from the sample 16.