Patent · US Active

Extended depth of field using a multi-focal length lens with a controlled range of spherical aberration and a centrally obscured aperture

US8086058B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by

19References

10Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Aptina Imaging Corporation · KY

Inventors

Nicholas George · Pittsford, US
Wanli Chi · Rochester, US

Key dates

Filing date	Oct 11, 2007
Grant date	Dec 27, 2011
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Oct 26, 2030

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH04N23/958
WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An extended depth of field is achieved by a computational imaging system that combines a multifocal imaging subsystem for producing a purposefully blurred intermediate image with a digital processing subsystem for producing a recovered image having an extended depth of field. The multifocal imaging system preferably exhibits spherical aberration as the dominant feature of the purposeful blur. A central obscuration of the multifocal imaging subsystem renders point-spread functions of object points more uniform over a range of object distances. An iterative digital deconvolution algorithm for converting the intermediate image into the recovered image contains a metric parameter that speeds convergence, avoids stagnations, and enhances image quality.

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