Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ralph Hamilton Shepard, Iii

Michael W Kelly

Brian M Tyrrell

Yaron Rachlin

Joseph H Lin

An imaging system uses a dynamically varying coded mask, such as a spatial light modulator (SLM), to time-encode multiple degrees of freedom of a light field in parallel and a detector and processor to decode the encoded information. The encoded information may be decoded at the pixel level (e.g., with independently modulated counters in each pixel), on a read-out integrated circuit coupled to the detector, or on a circuit external to the detector. For example, the SLM, detector, and processor may create modulation sequences representing a system of linear equations where the variables represent a degree of freedom of the light field that is being sensed. If the number of equations and variables form a fully determined or overdetermined system of linear equations, the system of linear equations' solution can be determined through a matrix inverse. Otherwise, a solution can be determined with compressed sensing reconstruction techniques with the constraint that the signal is sparse in the frequency domain.

Methods and systems for time-encoded multiplexed imaging

Devices and methods for multiplexed imaging are provided. In one embodiment, an imaging device can simultaneously direct light of a same spectrum from each of a plurality of image channels onto an image sensor to create a multiplexed image on the sensor. Each image channel can collect light from different portions of an extended field of view or from the same portion with different perspectives. The device can also include one or more encoders to encode light from the channels prior to detection. The devices and methods described herein can also include disambiguating a captured multiplexed image to create images for each of the plurality of image channels. Disambiguated images can cover the extended field of view at a high spatial resolution despite using only a single small format image sensor, or can produce stereo or 3D images having the full resolution of the sensor.

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Somerville, MA, United States of America

Ralph Hamilton Shepard, Iii