THREE-CHANNEL CAMERA SYSTEMS WITH NON-COLLINEAR APERTURES

Abstract

A three-dimensional imaging system uses a single primary optical lens along with three non-collinear apertures to obtain three offset optical channels each of which can be separately captured with an optical sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention and the following detailed description of certain embodiments thereof may be understood by reference to the following figures.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an imaging system with a moving aperture component, a set of refocusing lenses, and a pupil splitting facility.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of refocusing facility.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a rotating aperture element.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of an imaging system with two sensors.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a refocusing facility and moving aperture with refocusing lenses and apertures in a triangular configuration.

FIG. 6 shows a single-sensor embodiment of an imaging system.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment with a prism as a pupil splitting facility.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of an imaging system with two side-channel sensors.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of a refocusing facility and a moving aperture with a pair of refocusing lenses and a pair of apertures.

FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of an imaging system with a refocusing facility and a moving aperture element disposed in front of a primary optical lens.

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of an imaging system with a refocusing facility in front of a primary optical lens and a moving aperture component behind the primary optical lens.

FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of an imaging system with a set of mirrors serving as a primary optical facility.

FIG. 13 shows an embodiment of an imaging system with an electronic optical component.

FIG. 14 shows an imaging system with an associated image processing facility and including a feedback facility for providing feedback control to components of the imaging system.

FIG. 15 shows a technique for viewing narrow areas with an imaging system.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram reflecting a set of images taken by cameras in an image triplet processing technique.

Claims

1. A device comprising an aperture element positioned within a primary optical facility having a center axis, the aperture element including three apertures positioned non-collinearly, each one of the apertures selectively transmitting a portion of an optical wave front of the primary optical facility, thereby providing three optical channels.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein one of the three apertures is a center aperture positioned on the center axis.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising a fourth aperture, the fourth aperture positioned on the center axis.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the three apertures are substantially equally spaced apart.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the three apertures form a right angle.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein two of the three apertures are one-hundred and eighty degrees apart with respect to the center axis of the primary optical facility.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the aperture element includes one or more of a moving plate, an electronic aperture, a shutter, a shuttering aperture, an oscillating aperture, a flipping mirror, a rotating mirror, and a digital light processor.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the aperture element is adapted to rotate on the center axis.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising a refocusing facility having three refocusing elements located at conjugate positions to the three apertures within the primary optical facility.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the refocusing facility is adapted to rotate on the center axis.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein the aperture element is adapted to rotate on the center axis.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the refocusing facility is adapted to rotate in an opposite direction from the aperture element.

13. The device of claim 1 further comprising three optical sensors positioned to capture data from each of the three optical channels.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein each one of the three optical sensors includes a collection of sensors to acquire RGB data.

15. The device of claim 13 further comprising a sampling facility that redirects the three optical channels to the three optical sensors.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the sampling facility includes two mirrors separated by a space that passes a center one of the optical channels corresponding to a center one of the apertures.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein the sampling facility includes three mirrors.

18. The device of claim 15 wherein the sampling facility includes at least one prism.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein the at least one prism includes a prism having a hole that passes a center one of the optical channels corresponding to a center one of the apertures.

20. A device comprising a refocusing facility positioned within a primary optical facility having a center axis, the refocusing facility including three refocusing elements positioned non-collinearly, each one of the three refocusing elements refocusing a portion of an optical wave front of the primary optical facility, and a center one of the refocusing elements positioned on the center axis.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein the refocusing facility is adapted to rotate on the center axis.

22. The device of claim 20 wherein the refocusing elements include at least one mirror.

23. The device of claim 20 wherein the refocusing elements include at least one lens.

24. The device of claim 20 wherein the refocusing elements include at least one meso-optical element.

25. The device of claim 20 further comprising three optical sensors positioned to capture data from each of the three optical channels.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein each one of the three optical sensors includes a collection of sensors to acquire RGB data.