18273228. IMAGING DEVICE AND OPTICAL ELEMENT simplified abstract (NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION)

IMAGING DEVICE AND OPTICAL ELEMENT

Organization Name

NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION

Inventor(s)

Masashi Miyata of Musashino-shi, Tokyo (JP)

Yoko Sogabe of Musashino-shi, Tokyo (JP)

Fumihide Kobayashi of Musashino-shi, Tokyo (JP)

Shiori Sugimoto of Musashino-shi, Tokyo (JP)

Naru Nemoto of Musashino-shi, Tokyo (JP)

Toshikazu Hashimoto of Musashino-shi, Tokyo (JP)

IMAGING DEVICE AND OPTICAL ELEMENT - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18273228 titled 'IMAGING DEVICE AND OPTICAL ELEMENT

Simplified Explanation

The imaging device described in the patent application includes an optical element with structures that output light with different point spread functions for each wavelength, an imaging sensor with pixels containing photoelectric conversion elements, and a signal processing unit to generate image signals based on the electric signals from the sensor. The structures on the optical element have the same height in a side view, and the signal processing unit reconstructs an image where the point spread function of each wavelength is convoluted.

• Optical element with structures that output light with different point spread functions for each wavelength
• Imaging sensor with pixels containing photoelectric conversion elements
• Signal processing unit to generate image signals based on electric signals from the sensor
• Structures on the optical element have the same height in a side view
• Signal processing unit reconstructs an image where the point spread function of each wavelength is convoluted

Potential Applications

This technology could be applied in:

• Medical imaging
• Astronomy
• Microscopy

Problems Solved

This technology helps in:

• Improving image quality
• Enhancing resolution
• Reducing aberrations

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include:

• Higher quality images
• Enhanced clarity
• Improved accuracy in imaging

Potential Commercial Applications

This technology could be commercially applied in:

• Camera systems
• Medical imaging devices
• Scientific research equipment

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art could be the use of diffractive optical elements in imaging devices to manipulate light for improved image quality.

Unanswered Questions

How does this technology compare to existing imaging devices in terms of resolution and image quality?

The article does not provide a direct comparison with existing imaging devices to assess the performance of this technology.

What are the potential limitations or challenges in implementing this technology on a larger scale?

The article does not address any potential limitations or challenges that may arise when implementing this technology on a larger scale.

Original Abstract Submitted

An imaging device includes an optical element including a transparent substrate and a plurality of structures disposed on or in the transparent substrate in a plane direction of the transparent substrate, an imaging sensor in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion element are arranged, and a signal processing unit configured to generate an image signal based on an electric signal obtained from the imaging sensor, wherein the optical element outputs light with a different point spread function for each wavelength to form, on the imaging sensor, an image in which the point spread function of each wavelength is convoluted, the plurality of structures have the same height in a side view, and the signal processing unit reconstructs an image in which the point spread function of each wavelength is convoluted.