Sony Deutschland Gmbh

Sony Corporation

Sony Group Corporation

Zoltan Facius

Markus Kamm

Paul Springer

Thimo Emmerich

Piergiorgio Sartor

Evangelos Zoidis

Alexander Gatto

Francesco Michielin

Shigeki Hashimoto

Olivier Ripoll

Manfred Manz

Nadin Roesler

Marco Hering

Matthias Schinzel

The present disclosure generally pertains to a polarization imaging system having: an imaging portion having a color channel element of a first color type and a color channel element of a second color type; and a light polarization portion configured to: provide a first light polarization of a first polarization type for the first color type and a second light polarization of the first polarization type for the second color type; and convert a second polarization type into the first polarization type, whereby the second polarization type is detectable in the imaging portion.

Polarization imaging system and polarization imaging method

An optical device for capturing an image of a scene, the optical device comprising: a plurality of image sensors each operable to capture a respective initial image of the scene; a lens arrangement operable to receive light from the scene and to form each initial image on each respective image sensor, each image sensor being located at a different respective distance from the lens arrangement; and an image processor operable to generate the captured image of the scene on the basis of image data from one or more of the captured initial images.

Optical scope system for capturing an image of a scene

An imaging device for producing images of a scene, the imaging device comprising: a first and a second hyperchromatic lens being arranged in a stereoscopic configuration to receive light from the scene; image sensor circuitry configured to capture a first and second image of the light encountered by the first and the second lens respectively; processor circuitry configured to: produce depth information using the captured first and second images of the scene and produce a resultant first and second image of the scene using both the captured first and second image and the depth information.

Imaging device, method and program for producing images of a scene having an extended depth of field with good contrast

An imaging device for use with an endoscope, the imaging device comprising: a lens arrangement operable to receive light from a scene captured by the endoscope and to form an image of the scene using the received light; an image sensor operable to capture the image of the scene formed by the lens arrangement; a birefringent device positioned along an optical path between the endoscope and the image sensor, wherein the birefringent device comprises birefringent material arranged in a plurality of concentric rings, and wherein the birefringent material of each of the concentric rings is configured such that the polarisation directions of an ordinary ray and an extraordinary ray of light from the scene which travels through the birefringent material are different for at least two of the plurality of concentric rings; and an image processor operable to process the captured image to generate an output image.

Capturing an image of a scene

An imaging device for converting a first image into a plurality of second images, the imaging device comprising a light receiving unit having a first aperture configured to receive light of the first image, a light reflecting unit configured to reflect the light received by the light receiving unit along a number of paths having a predetermined number of reflections within the light reflecting unit according to a portion of the first aperture from which the light originated, and a light output unit configured to output at least a subset of the paths of light reflected by the light reflecting unit as a plurality of second images, the second images having a focal length associated with the predetermined number of reflections experienced by the corresponding paths of light through the light reflecting unit.

Imaging device, system, method and program for converting a first image into a plurality of second images

An imaging system includes an optical unit that captures, from a scene, sets of first images as well as sets of second images. The scene is illuminated with non-structured light when the sets of first images are captured and illuminated with structured light when the sets of second images are captured. A pattern processing unit generates, from the second images, a recovered shadow pattern from a shadow pattern projected onto the scene during illumination with structured light, wherein at least one motion-compensated reference image is used. A depth processing unit obtains depth information on the basis of the recovered shadow pattern.

Imaging system using structured light for depth recovery

An imaging system includes an optical unit that captures, from a scene, first images indifferent wavelength ranges when the scene is illuminated with not-structured light and second images of different wavelength ranges when the scene is illuminated with structured light. Thereby an imaging lens unit with longitudinal chromatic aberration is arranged between the scene and an imaging sensor unit. A depth processing unit may generate depth information on the basis of the second images by using optical triangulation. A sharpness processing unit uses the depth information to generate an output image by combining the first images. The optical unit of the imaging, system may be implemented in an endoscope.

Imaging system including lens with longitudinal chromatic aberration, endoscope and imaging method

Laser projection device comprising an image generating unit, intermediate imaging optics configured to generate an intermediate image at an image focal plane (), an image diffusing element () and a projection lens () with an object focal plane (), wherein the image diffusing element () is arranged in the image focal plane () and in the object focal plane () and comprises a superimposed microstructure () formed of constituent parts (), which are regularly distributed within a surface plane () of the image diffusing element ().

Laser projection device having a diffuser arranged in an image focal plane and an object focal plane and method for manufacturing a laser projection device

A projector arrangement includes a first image generation and projection unit and a second image generation and projection unit. A first or two-dimensional projection/display mode and a second stereoscopic or projection/display mode can be realized by the cooperating first and second image generation and projection units. The second image generation and projection unit is configured to receive waste light from the first image generation and projection unit and to base the generation of its respective second image on the waste light.

Projector arrangement

An illumination device for uniformly illuminating an image generating micro-display that includes a coherent light source, a beam shaping and speckle reduction device located on an optical path between said coherent light source and said image generating micro-display, wherein the beam shaping and speckle reduction device includes a dynamic diffractive optical element, and a processor which is configured to control said dynamic diffractive optical element so that a sequence of different hologram patterns is generated on said dynamic diffractive optical element, the different hologram patterns being uncorrelated to each other.

Illumination device and method for illuminating uniformly an image generating micro display

The present invention relates to an image generating apparatus () which comprises an illumination unit () having an intermediate face (, S), as well as an image modulator () for generating an image (I). In addition a deflecting means () for deflecting a received light beam (L) of primary illumination light (L) to said illumination unit () is provided in order to irradiate said intermediate face (, S). Said deflecting means () is adapted to have&#x2014;during the process of irradiating said intermediate face (, S)&#x2014;said light beam (L) subsequently in time irradiate different portions of said intermediate face (, S) in order to thereby reduce the speckle effect.

Image generating apparatus

An image generation unit with a geometry according to which a light input section and a light output section are formed and/or are arranged such that a light incidence axis or direction and an image emission axis or direction are essentially collinear, parallel, or coincident with respect to each other.

Image generation unit and image projection device

An image generating apparatus is provided, which has a plurality of image generating optical paths and means for simultaneously deflecting a received plurality of light beams of primary illumination light having coherence properties. The received light beams are assigned to the respective optical paths. The means for deflecting simultaneously optically couples each of the received light beams into a respective assigned optical path and irradiates intermediate faces of illumination units of each respective optical path with the respective assigned light beam. The means for deflecting is configured so that, during the process of irradiating, each of the light beams subsequently in time irradiates different portions of the respective assigned intermediate faces.

Image generating apparatus using a mirror common to a plurality of optical paths

An imaging unit including a first spectral splitting and illumination part and a second spectral splitting and recombination part. Within the first spectral splitting part received white light is split up into a first spectral component and a second spectral component. In the second spectral splitting part the second spectral component is split up into a third spectral component and a fourth spectral component. Additionally, first, second, and third partial images of an image to be generated are produced with respect to the first, third, and fourth spectral components of the white light. The first, second, and third partial images are recombined to obtain a recombined or reproduced image. The second spectral and polarization selective splitting and recombination part includes a dichloric beam splitting device and first and second polarization selective or polarizing beam splitting devices.

Growing community of inventors

Waiblingen, Germany

Zoltan Facius