Stereoscopic Hyperchromatic Lens Imaging for Extended Depth of Field
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Solution Overview
Problem
Imaging devices face a trade-off between achieving high resolution and wide depth of field, with high aperture numbers resulting in noisy and low-contrast images and low aperture numbers providing high resolution but with a narrow depth of field, making it challenging to capture sharp images in medical and industrial applications.
Innovation Solution
An imaging device comprising a first and second hyperchromatic lens arranged in a stereoscopic configuration, capturing images and producing depth information to generate resultant images with extended depth of field, allowing for high resolution and wide depth of field simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the aperture size is reduced (aperture number increased) to increase depth of field, then the depth of field is improved, but the amount of light collected is reduced resulting in noisy and low contrast images
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging device segments the optical system into multiple lens units with different focal lengths and aperture characteristics. Each lens unit captures images at different depths of field, and these segmented images are then combined through image processing to produce a final image with extended depth of field and adequate light collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single aperture control dimension to multiple dimensions by using multiple lens units with different optical parameters. This allows depth of field extension not just through aperture reduction but through combining images from multiple focal planes, thereby maintaining light collection while achieving extended depth of field.
2Reliability
If the aperture number is increased to achieve wide depth of field, then the depth of field is improved, but the image resolution and contrast deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is divided into multiple lens units, each optimized for different focal ranges. By capturing images with multiple lens units and combining them, the system achieves extended depth of field while maintaining high resolution and contrast in the final composite image.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes optical parameters (focal length, aperture, object distance) across multiple lens units rather than relying on a single aperture setting. This allows each lens unit to operate at optimal parameters for its focal range, maintaining image quality while extending overall depth of field.
3Volume of moving object
If the pixel sensor size is reduced to maintain small form factor, then the form factor is improved, but high aperture number is required which reduces light collection and increases noise
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on a single large sensor, the system uses multiple smaller lens units that can work with smaller pixel sensors. The segmented optical approach compensates for the reduced light-gathering capability of smaller sensors by distributing the imaging task across multiple units and combining their outputs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent compensates for reduced sensor size by adding the dimension of multiple lens units with different optical characteristics. This allows the system to achieve adequate light collection and image quality even with smaller pixel sensors, maintaining small form factor without sacrificing performance.
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging device for producing images of a scene, the imaging device comprising: a first and a second hyperchromatic lens being arranged in a stereoscopic configuration to receive light from the scene; image sensor circuitry configured to capture a first and second image of the light encountered by the first and the second lens respectively; processor circuitry configured to: produce depth information using the captured first and second images of the scene and produce a resultant first and second image of the scene using both the captured first and second image and the depth information.