University of Rochester

Other

Aptina Imaging Corporation

Micron Technology Incorporated

Automatic Recognition and Control, Inc.

Nicholas A George

Wanli Chi

Thomas W Stone

Donald J Schertler

Kedar Khare

Eric A Gore

Xi Chelsea Chen

David M Berfanger

Kedar Bhalchandra Khare

Scott Daigle

Bryan J Stossel

A device for the cleanup of dirt or soil removed when forming a hole in the earth including a base member, a first side member attached to a first side of the base member, a second side member attached to a second side of the base member, an aperture positioned within the base member, wherein the first side member is movable to an upright position and the second side member is movable to an upright position for directing dirt or soil off of the base member.

Device for improved clean up of holes

A cleanup device having a first board having a first edge, a second board having a first edge, a first hinge attached to the first edge of the first board and the first edge of the second board, an aperture defined by a portion of the first edge of the first board and a portion of the first edge of the second board, a first plate slidably attached to the first board, wherein the first plate is movable from a first, open position where the aperture is open to a second, closed position where the first plate extends over at least a portion of the aperture, and wherein a top surface of the first board is movable towards a top surface of the second board to form a V-shaped surface for directing dirt or soil off of the first board and the second board.

Device for improved clean up of holes, and method of using same

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a new type of phase screen, i.e., an opto-electronic device that can convert a distorted incoming optical wavefront into a plane wave or, conversely, transform a plane wave into a prescribed varying output wavefront. The basic concept involves novel binary all-digital MEMS interferometer configurations that can be used to create controlled and arbitrary optical wavefront using only 0,1 amplitude changes followed by differential propagation distances to convert these amplitude variations into controllable and/or continuous phase variations. Clustered pixel notions, such as Floyd-Steinberg, Stucki or other algorithms useful in digital half-tone printing, are simultaneously employed to create controllable grey-level variations as well as continuous phase variations. Desired grey-levels can be obtained wherein each pixel is formed by, e.g., a 3&#xd7;3 or 5&#xd7;5 cluster of mirrors. Both the filling-in of the outputs of the binary mirror (0,1) and the grey-levels are accomplished simply by spatial averaging over a short propagation distance.

Digital binary MEMS wavefront control

A novel phase-coded aperture, associated imaging system, and design method is disclosed. The optical imaging system includes a coded-aperture followed optically by a detector array and includes an image processor. A diffraction pattern in the form of a band-limited uniformly redundant array is formed on the detector array when focusable radiation from a point source in object space is modulation by the transmission function of the coded-aperture. Since diffraction effects cannot be ignored in the optical regime, an iterative phase retrieval method is used to calculate the phase-coded aperture transmission function. Correlation type processing can be applied for the image recovery.

Optical element, device, method, and applications

A phase screen, i.e., an opto-electronic device that can convert a distorted incoming optical wavefront into a plane wave or, conversely, transform a plane wave into a prescribed varying output wavefront. Binary all-digital MEMS interferometer configurations that can be used to create controlled and arbitrary optical wavefront using only 0,1 amplitude changes followed by differential propagation distances to convert these amplitude variations into controllable and/or continuous phase variations. Clustered pixel notions, such as Floyd-Steinberg, Stucki or other algorithms useful in digital half-tone printing, are simultaneously employed to create controllable grey-level variations as well as continuous phase variations. Desired grey-levels can be obtained wherein each pixel is formed by, e.g., a 3&#xd7;3 or 5&#xd7;5 cluster of mirrors. Both the filling-in of the outputs of the binary mirror (0,1) and the grey-levels are accomplished simply by spatial averaging over a short propagation distance.

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.

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

For rotationally symmetric aspheric lenses, one can establish lens design and layout based upon the phase delay function exp[&#x2212;i&#x3c6;(&#x3c1;)]. An embodiment of the invention is a method for calculating a corresponding variation in focal length denoted by f(&#x3c1;). According to an aspect, one can also assert a shape for the focal length f(&#x3c1;) and thereafter calculate a phase delay function in order to synthesize a novel lens. New EDoF lens designs are obtained by selection of an inner and outer focal length connected by a simple curve that can be approximate by a polynomial. From the selected f(&#x3c1;), one can synthesize a finished EDoF lens design and fabricate the lens. Another aspect of this invention is directed to a method to tailor prior-art EDoF lenses so that their performance over some range is improved.

Extended depth-of-field lenses and methods for their design, optimization and manufacturing

A system for recovering degraded images captured through atmospheric turbulence, or other atmospheric inhomogeneities, such as snow, rain, smoke, fog, or underwater fluctuations, is provided having an imager for capturing through such turbulence both a degraded image of a scene having at least one object, and an image of a point source associated with the object. The imager converts the degraded image into first image data signals representing the degraded image, and converts the image of the point source into second image data signals representing a point spread function. A computer of the system receives the first and second image data signals and produces third image data signals representing a recovered image of the object of the degraded image in accordance with the first and second image data signals. In another embodiment, the imager captures a degraded image through atmospheric turbulence of a scene having a known reference object and an unknown object, and converts the degraded image into first image data signals. After receiving the first image data signals, the computer identifies in the first image data signals such image data signals representing the reference object. The computer produces image data signals representing a recovered image of the degraded image in accordance with the first image data signals, the image data signals representing the reference in the first image data signals, and image data signals representing an undegraded image of the reference. The computer may output the image data signals representing a recovered image to an output device to display or print the recovered image.

System for recovery of degraded images

Apparatus and method for extended depth of field imaging

A system for imaging with a circularly symmetric multifocal aspheric lens is provided for obtaining an extended depth of field. The system includes a camera for capturing an image of at least one object through a circularly symmetric multifocal aspheric lens to provide a blurred image, and a computer system for processing the captured blurred image to provide a recovered image of the object having an extended depth of field. The recovered image may be outputted to a display or other peripheral device. Processing of the blurred image utilizes one of inverse filtering, convolution matrix (e.g., edge sharpening matrix), or maximum entropy. The computer system performing image processing may be in the camera or represent a computer system external to the camera which receives the blurred image. The extended depth of field is characterized by the object being in focus over a range of distances in the recovered image.

Imaging using a multifocal aspheric lens to obtain extended depth of field

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 exhibits spherical aberration as the dominant feature of the purposeful blur. In an aspect, a central obscuration of the multifocal imaging subsystem renders point-spread functions of object points more uniform over a range of object distances, however, the system may not include a centrally obscured aperture to achieve intended results. An iterative digital deconvolution algorithm for converting the intermediate image into the recovered image based on maximum entropy involves a metric parameter that speeds convergence, avoids stagnations, and enhances image quality.

Growing community of inventors

Peotone, IL, United States of America

Nicholas A George