Nippon telegraph and telephone corporation (20240121488). IMAGING DEVICE AND OPTICAL ELEMENT simplified abstract

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 20240121488 titled 'IMAGING DEVICE AND OPTICAL ELEMENT

Simplified Explanation

The imaging device described in the abstract 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 sensor's electric signals.

• The optical element has structures on a transparent substrate that output light with different point spread functions for each wavelength.
• The imaging sensor contains pixels with photoelectric conversion elements arranged to capture the convoluted image formed by the optical element.
• The signal processing unit reconstructs the image by convoluting the point spread functions of each wavelength.

Potential Applications

This technology could be used 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

Potential Commercial Applications

This technology could be applied in:

• Camera systems
• Surveillance equipment
• Scientific instruments

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art for this technology could be:

• Adaptive optics systems in astronomy

Unanswered Questions

How does this technology compare to traditional imaging devices in terms of performance?

This technology offers improved image quality and resolution compared to traditional imaging devices due to its unique optical element.

What are the limitations of this technology in practical applications?

The limitations of this technology may include cost, complexity, and compatibility with existing systems.

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.