Patent · US Active

Multifunctional optical sensor comprising a photodetectors matrix coupled to a microlenses matrix

US7518099B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
1References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 19, 2006
Grant dateApr 14, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 28, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB60R2300/8093
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Multifunctional optical sensor, comprising a matrix of photodetectors of the CCD or CMOS type, having a sensitive area divided into sub-areas, each of which, individually or combined with others, is dedicated to a specific function of monitoring the scene or measuring environmental parameters. The optical sensor comprises a matrix of microlenses, each of which is set to focus the radiation coming from a portion of solid angle on the associated photodetector or cluster of mutually contiguous photodetectors. Each function is associated to a single microlens or to a single subgroup of mutually contiguous microlenses or to multiple, not mutually contiguous microlenses or to multiple, not mutually contiguous subgroups of microlenses. The angular separation between the central directions of the portions of solid angle subtended by adjacent photodetectors or adjacent clusters of photodetectors is not constant within the matrix.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.