Abstract: A sensing device with an odd-symmetry grating projects near-field spatial modulations onto an array of closely spaced pixels. Due to physical properties of the grating, the spatial modulations are in focus for a range of wavelengths and spacings. The spatial modulations are captured by the array, and photographs and other image information can be extracted from the resultant data. Pixels responsive to infrared light can be used to make thermal imaging devices and other types of thermal sensors. Some sensors are well adapted for tracking eye movements, and others for imaging barcodes and like binary images. In the latter case, the known binary property of the expected images can be used to simplify the process of extracting image data.

Abstract: A light redirecting film in a sandwich-laminated structure is provided. The light redirecting film comprises a first layer, a second layer; and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the first layer and the second layer. The intermediate layer includes a first grating surface having a plurality of first gratings extending in a first grating direction and a second grating surface opposite to the first grating surface having a plurality of second gratings extending in a second grating direction, wherein the first grating direction and the second grating direction cross each other at an angle of 90°±10°, and the first grating surface and the second grating surface of the intermediate layer are gap-filled and planarized with the first layer and the second layer respectively to generate the light redirecting film.

Abstract: System for simulating effects of impairment caused by recreational consumption of marijuana. The system includes i) an optical filter having a pre-defined spectral pass-band and a non-diffractive spatial pattern configured to deviate a beam of light incident onto the filter, and, optionally, ii) radiant objects at least one of which delivers light in a spectral band corresponding to color that is complementary to the color defined by the pass-band of the optical filter. Method for demonstration and analysis of impairment of cognitive function caused by using the system to affect the vision of the user.

Abstract: Optical stacks including a grating structure that generates diffraction in two in-plane dimensions. The optical stacks may include two gratings, which may be one-directional or two-directional. The optical stacks are suitable for reducing sparkle in displays.

Abstract: An optical low-pass filter is arranged on an object side than an image sensor in an image pickup apparatus and has an unevenness shape. The conditions of 5.0 ?m??z?80.0 ?m and 1.0?Ps/<Pf>?20.0 are satisfied where ?z represents a distance between the optical low-pass filter and the image sensor, Ps represents a pixel pitch of the image sensor, and <Pf> represents an average pitch of the unevenness shape.

Abstract: Disclosed are various implementations for controlling an electric field within a focused beam of electromagnetic radiation. In one example, among others, a system includes a first birefringent element encodes a first phase shift on a vertical component of a polarization of an input beam. A first wave plate rotates a polarization of an output beam of the first birefringent element by an angle. A second birefringent element encodes a second phase shift to a vertical component of the output beam of the first wave plate. A second wave plate rotates a polarization of the output beam of the second birefringent element by another angle. By mechanically or electronically varying parameters of the system, the polarization in the focus of the beam can be continuously orientated in any desired direction.

Abstract: A spectrum-inspection device includes a multi-band pass filter, a filter array, and a sensing layer. The multi-band pass filter allows a first waveband, a second waveband, and a third waveband of a light beam to pass through. The light beam passes through the multi-band pass filter forms a multi-band beam. The filter array is disposed under the multi-band pass filter. The filter array includes a first filter allowing wavelengths of the multi-band beam longer than a first wavelength to pass through, a second filter allowing wavelengths of the multi-band beam longer than a second wavelength to pass through, and a third filter allowing wavelengths of the multi-band beam longer than a third wavelength to pass through. The second waveband is between the first wavelength and the second wavelength, and the third waveband is between the second wavelength and the third wavelength.

Abstract: A sensing device with an odd-symmetry grating projects near-field spatial modulations onto a closely spaced photodetector array. Due to physical properties of the grating, the spatial modulations are in focus for a range of wavelengths and spacings. The spatial modulations are captured by the array, and photographs and other image information can be extracted from the resultant data. Used in conjunction with a converging optical element, versions of these gratings provide depth information about objects in an imaged scene. This depth information can be computationally extracted to obtain a depth map of the scene.

Abstract: In embodiments of selective imaging, an imaging system includes an imaging sensor implemented to capture an image of a target within a field of view of the imaging system. The imaging sensor is divided into zones of pixel arrays. The imaging system also includes optics that can be positioned to direct light of the image at a zone of the imaging sensor. An imaging application can position the optics to direct the light at the zone of the imaging sensor and activate the zone of the imaging sensor to capture the image of the target.

Abstract: An optical reflection focusing device, including a grating including an alternation of first and second regions having different refraction indexes, the grating including a plurality of sub-gratings, each including a plurality of first regions aligned along a plane parallel to the mean plane of the grating, said device including structures such that, for a collimated incident coherent light beam orthogonal to the mean plane of the grating, the rays of the beam reach with a non-zero phase shift different sub-gratings of the device.

Abstract: An array of diffraction-pattern generators employ phase anti-symmetric gratings to projects near-field spatial modulations onto a closely spaced array of photoelements. Each generator in the array of generators produces point-spread functions with spatial frequencies and orientations of interest. The generators are arranged in an irregular mosaic with little or no short-range repetition. Diverse generators are shaped and placed with some irregularity to reduce or eliminate spatially periodic replication of ambiguities to facilitate imaging of nearby scenes.

Abstract: A diffractive optical element that is used for an optical system includes a first diffraction grating and a second diffraction grating. The first and second diffraction gratings are disposed in contact with each other, one of the first and second diffraction gratings has a refractive index distribution and has a diffractive surface that includes a grating surface having a predetermined inclination and a grating wall surface having a predetermined height, and the diffractive surface has a shape in which an inclination of the grating surface of a diffraction grating having the greater refractive index distribution is decreased and a height of the grating wall surface is lowered with respect to a shape in which a phase difference based on a phase difference function that corrects an aberration of the optical system is added to a shape of a base surface that forms one of the first and second diffraction gratings.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor which comprises a pixel group in which unit pixels each including a microlens and a plurality of photo-electric converters are arrayed two-dimensionally, wherein a shielding unit that shields part of all of a plurality of photo-electric converters corresponding to a single microlens is provided in a portion of the unit pixels.

Abstract: In an image sensor pixels in an array of binary pixels are sampled with a first oversampling factor during a first frame interval, and then sampled with a second oversampling factor during a second frame interval, the second oversampling factor exceeding the first oversampling factor.

Abstract: An imaging system includes an array of lenses, a plurality of sensor pixels for each lens, the sensor pixels being on an image plane of the imaging system, and a corresponding plurality of focal plane coding elements. A focal plane coding element for each sensor pixel has multiple sub-pixel resolution elements. The focal plane coding element being between the lens and each sensor pixel, wherein sub-pixel resolution elements over the plurality of focal plane coding elements represent a selected transform matrix having a non-zero determinant. The output of the plurality of sensor pixels being an image multiplied by this matrix.

Abstract: In a solid-state image capturing device having the locations of photodiodes in each pixel unit to be different according to a sequence, the light receiving sensitivity and the luminance shading characteristic are improved. A circumferential portion of a microlens 12 which is arranged above a corresponding photodiode 11 is formed so as to overlap an adjacent microlens 12 thereto, and the locations of microlenses 12 in each pixel unit are different according to a sequence. Light of an image that is incident upon each of the microlenses 12 is incident upon approximately the same portion (e.g., central portion) of each of the respective photodiodes 11.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for calculating the focal stack associated with an object space from the plenoptic function thereof, using a sum transform along the length of constrained planes in discrete hypercubes, which allows the computing time to be considerably reduced. The invention also relates to a method for increasing the resolution of the focal stack obtained. In addition, the invention relates to two methods for the real-time recovery of the depths and moduli and phases of the complex amplitude of the wavefront respectively in each position of the surfaces of a three-dimensional scene and to a system adapted for carrying out the aforementioned methods.

Abstract: A color image comprises color values in each of one or more color channels for each of a plurality of points, or pixels, within the image. The image is represented by rank ordering the values in each color channel. The image representation generated in this way is usable for automated-vision or computer-vision tasks, for example.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device improving and stabilizing imaging characteristic by optimizing a location of a positive hole accumulation layer to an electrode at the periphery of a light receiving portion, and having light receiving portions formed on a substrate and electrodes formed on the substrate at the periphery of the light receiving portion, each electrode including at least a first electrode to which a positive voltage is applied and a second electrode to which only 0 volt or a negative polarity voltage is applied, each light receiving portion having a signal charge accumulation region formed on the substrate and a positive hole accumulation region formed in a surface layer portion of the signal charge accumulation region, each positive hole accumulation region arranged at a distance from the first electrode and arranged so as to overlap the second electrode, and method of producing the same and a camera.

Abstract: A camera lens actuation apparatus for driving motion of a camera lens supported on a support structure by a suspension system. The apparatus incorporates a subassembly comprising SMA wire connected to at least one mounting member which is mounted to the support structure. At least one pair of lengths of SMA wire are held in tension between the camera lens element and the support structure at respective acute angles to the optical axis applying a tensional force having a component along the optical axis. The lengths of SMA wire in the pair are held at angle as viewed along the optical axis. There may be plural pairs with a balanced arrangement in which the forces generated have no net component perpendicular to the optical axis and generate no net torque around any axis perpendicular to the optical axis. A control circuit controls heating of the SMA wire in response to a measure of its resistance.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprising: A spatial light modulator (30) operable to receive incident light (34) representing an incident light image and to intensity modulate said incident light to form spatially modulated (38) light; and an image capture device (42) operable to receive said spatially modulated light and to detect an intensity value for different portions of said spatially modulated light to form a modulated light image therefrom; wherein said spatial light modulator attenuates different parts of said incident light by different proportions such that intensity values of said incident light image are given by a combination of intensity values of said modulated light image captured by said image capture device and data representing proportions of attenuation applied to corresponding parts of said incident light image by said spatial light modulator.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which is capable of suppressing generation of shadows even when the aperture of the photographic lens is stopped down. A digital camera as an image pickup apparatus includes a photographic lens, a image pickup element that picks up an image of an object, and an optical low-pass filter disposed between the photographic lens and the image pickup element. The filter includes a liner phase diffraction grating having unit cells which are disposed in a regular pattern at a grating pitch P and are formed by equal-width recesses and equal-width protrusions adjacent to each other. When a shortest wavelength of a reference wavelength employed is ?S, and a longest wavelength of the reference wavelength is ?L, an optical path difference ?H between lengths of optical paths of light of which a phase is varied by the phase grating is larger than ?S/2 and smaller than ?L/2.

Abstract: It discloses a display apparatus with a camera capable of taking an almost full-face image of a person seeing a display. The display apparatus with the camera includes a display element in which display pixels are arranged, and an image-taking module which forms a plurality of object images through a plurality of aperture areas formed among the display pixels of the display element and photoelectrically converts the plurality of object images. Furthermore, the display apparatus includes an image combining section which combines image information on the plurality of object images obtained by using the image-taking module.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for enhancing the speed at which pixel levels are read out and sampled for processing. A method of processing pixel levels includes clamping a pixel readout line to a voltage level less than a voltage corresponding to a signal sensed by an n-MOS pixel. Subsequently, the pixel readout line is coupled to an output of an n-MOS source-follower and the pixel signal is read out onto the pixel readout line through the n-MOS source-follower. The pixel signal that was read out is passed through a p-MOS source-follower to a processing circuit. Before passing the pixel signal through the p-MOS source-follower to the processing circuit, a capacitive storage node in the processing circuit is clamped to a voltage greater than a signal at an input to the p-MOS source-follower. Subsequently, an output of the p-MOS source-follower is coupled to the processing circuit, and a signal corresponding to the pixel signal is stored by the processing circuit.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a photoreceptor portion including a plurality of photoreceptors arranged in an array, a microlens array including a plurality of microlenses, and a light shielding layer placed between the photoreceptor portion and the microlens array. The light shielding layer has apertures located corresponding to the plurality of photoreceptors. An optical relationship of an actual length d1 of an aperture width of the apertures on a side of the photoreceptors, an actual length p of a distance between adjacent microlenses, an equivalent air length t0 of a distance between vein and a top of the microlenses, and an equivalent air length t1 of a thickness between the top of the microlenses and an aperture position of the apertures on the side of the photoreceptors satisfies: 1.36 × t ? ? 1 p ? d ? ? 1 ? 2.4 × t ? ? 1 p + p × t ? ? 1 t ? ? 0 .

Abstract: A diffraction grating including a substrate, and a grating member formed on the substrate, the grating member having a stepped structure including steps, the number of which corresponds to an odd number greater than or equal to three to provide an odd phase structure. The heights of the steps of the grating member are determined such that the light beams diffracted by their corresponding steps substantially have a phase difference of ? with reference to a diffracted light beam of a reference wavelength.

Abstract: An image input apparatus has a photoelectric converter element having a flat photosensitive surface and an image formation unit array having a plurality of image formation units arranged in an array. This image formation units individually receive light beams substantially from an identical area and focus the received light beams on different regions of the photosensitive surface of the photoelectric converter element to form images thereon.

Abstract: A projection type image display apparatus includes a light source emitting light, a polarization device transmitting light polarized in one direction of incident light emitted from the light source, a reflection type image generating unit generating a color image from incident light and reflecting the generated color image to proceed along a path different from a path of the incident light, a light deflection device deflecting the image reflected by the image generating unit, and a projection lens unit magnifying and transmitting the image generated by the image generating unit and deflected by the light deflection device to proceed toward a screen. Thus, a full color can be realized with respect to the area of a pixel, and an efficiency in use of light and resolving power can be improved.

Abstract: An illumination optical system comprises a first multi-lens array, a second multi-lens array, and a polarization conversion module. An optical modulation device of a projector is irradiated with light beams that are generated by passing incident light from a light source through the first multi-lens array, the second multi-lens array, and the polarization conversion module. The number of the first lens cells is greater than that of the polarization conversion units in a direction of an arrangement of the polarization conversion units. Further, each of particular ones among the polarization conversion units corresponds to at least two first lens cells in the direction of the arrangement of the polarization conversion units.

Abstract: A compact digital camera is formed with a lenslet array comprised of a plurality of lenslets, each lenslet has a decentration corresponding to its radial position in the lenslet array so that the axial ray of each lenslet views a different segment of a total field of view. A photosensor array comprised of a plurality of sub-groups of photodetectors is positioned such that each sub-group is located along the axial ray of a respective lenslet. A field limiting baffle comprised of at least one aperture plate is positioned such that the center of the apertures are located along the axial ray of a respective lenslet.

Abstract: An optical element comprises a lens made of a material for shutting off all or most of light in the infrared region, and an optical low-pass filter, wherein the lens and the optical low-pass filter are incorporated with each other.

Abstract: In a color CCD (charge-coupled device) imaging device where chromatic filter components are formed on sensor units functioning as pixels, respectively, and small condenser lenses are provided on the respective chromatic filter components, it is so constructed that areas of the small condenser lenses are varied, depending upon film thickness of the respective chromatic filter components. Then, the sensitivity increasing rates for the respective pixels of the color CCD imaging device are uniformed.

Abstract: A mother layer made of a thermoplastic resin is formed on the substrate. The mother layer is etched to make a grating layer. The etching process is stopped so that an offset layer remains under the grating layer. The grating layer and the offset layer are baked to be molten. The baking process is stopped when a phase grating defined by a surface having a sinusoidal shape is formed.

Abstract: In a color image pickup apparatus having an objective lens or a member for removably mounting the objective lens, an image pickup device for converting the image of an object formed by the objective lens into a color electrical signal, and an optical low-pass filter comprising a diffraction grating and disposed between the rear end of the objective lens and the image pickup device, the optical low-pass filter satisfies the condition.0.7f.sub.C .ltoreq.1/d.ltoreq.f.sub.Y -0.7f.sub.C,where d is the pitch of the diffraction grating, f.sub.Y is the spatial frequency for making the luminance signal of the image pickup means into a specimen, and f.sub.C is the spatial frequency for making the color signal of the image pickup means into a specimen.