Monocular 3D Imaging with Beam Splitter Optical Channels
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current three-dimensional imaging systems face challenges in accurately determining displacement of object features between acquired images, particularly due to high computational costs and the need for improved optical trains to capture data effectively.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional imaging system utilizing a single primary optical lens with various configurations of apertures and refocusing facilities to create multiple optical channels, which can be separately captured by optical sensors, employing pupil sampling and splitting facilities to direct ray bundles to sensors for efficient image processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple separate camera/lens systems are used for stereo imaging, then depth information can be obtained through triangulation, but the cost and computational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple camera functions into a single camera body by using beam splitters and mirrors to direct light from a single lens to multiple sensors. This merging approach maintains the triangulation capability for depth measurement while eliminating the need for multiple separate camera/lens systems, thereby reducing device complexity and cost while preserving depth information accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the optical path after the single lens by using beam splitters to divide the light into multiple channels that reach different sensors. This segmentation allows each sensor to capture images from slightly different perspectives (enabling triangulation) while sharing the same optical front end, thus achieving multi-view imaging without requiring multiple lenses
2Measurement precision
If triplet imaging with three cameras is used, then processing ambiguity is eliminated and accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and computational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges three camera functions into a single camera by using beam splitters to direct light to three separate sensors within one camera body. This allows triplet imaging for eliminated processing ambiguity and improved accuracy while avoiding the complexity of three separate camera systems, as the aperture and lens are shared across all three imaging channels
3Measurement precision
If image registration processing is performed to determine displacement of object features, then three-dimensional information can be resolved, but computational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the sensors at the same focal plane and uses beam splitters to maintain consistent optical paths, creating equipotential conditions where all sensors view the scene from effectively the same optical reference. This reduces the computational burden of image registration by minimizing the displacement and distortion variations between channels, making the disparity calculation more straightforward and less computationally intensive
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 enables accurate and efficient capture and processing of three-dimensional data, reducing computational costs and improving depth resolution by using multiple sensors and optical channels to simplify image registration and enhance depth information extraction.
Implementation Method 1
an aperture element including a plurality of apertures for selectively transmitting portions of the optical path to provide a plurality of optical channels
Implementation Method 2
a refocusing facility including a plurality of refocusing lenses, each one of the refocusing lenses at a conjugate position in the optical path to one of the plurality of apertures
Implementation Method 3
a sampling facility that directs one or more of the plurality of optical channels toward an optical sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional imaging system uses a single primary optical lens along with various configurations of apertures, refocusing facilities, and the like to obtain three offset optical channels each of which can be separately captured with an optical sensor.