Patent US4601537A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4601537A
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Apparatus and methods for forming images and for optical demultiplexing
Assignee: Ohio State University Research Foundation
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Filing: 1984-01-06
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Granted: 1986-07-22
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Expires: 2004-01-06
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for illuminating and forming an image of a specimen has a transparent specimen-supporting surface and a fiber-optic bundle divided into illumination fibers which illuminate the surface and emission fibers which are held in the same relative spatial orientation throughout their length so that they produce an image of a specimen on the surface. This image may be analyzed by an optical demultiplexer using a light gate in which groups of input pixels are associated with a single output pixel, the light gate being switchable between various light-transmission states in each of which only one of the input pixels in each groups is allowed to transmit to the output pixel, so that the light gate effectively divides a single image comprising a large number of pixels into a series of images each containing fewer pixels. This enables a single photodetector chip to produce electronic signals representing an image having a much larger number of pixels than the number of separate photodetectors on the chip.
Inventors
- 👤 Sean M. Saccocio
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 18:03
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/04; G02B6/06; G02B6/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
An optical demultiplexer comprising: (a) a light gate having an input first surface and an output second surface which are fixed relative to each other and subdivided into a two dimensional array of pixels, each of said pixels of said gate being switchable between a relatively translucent, light transmitting, on state and a relatively opaque light blocking, off state; (b) means for projecting information bearing light onto the input, first surface of the light gate; (c) a light detector having a two dimensional array of input pixel elements, each detector pixel element optically associated with and receiving light from a group of gate output pixels; and (d) control means for controlling light transmission through the pixels of the light gate, said control means simultaneously turning on one pixel of each group and cycling in sequence through the pixels of each group.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
141 words
An optical demultiplexer comprising: (a) a light gate having an input first surface and an output second surface which are fixed relative to each other and subdivided into a two dimensional array of pixels, each of said pixels of said gate being switchable between a relatively translucent, light transmitting, on state and a relatively opaque light blocking, off state; (b) means for projecting information bearing light onto the input, first surface of the light gate; (c) a light detector having a two dimensional array of input pixel elements, each detector pixel element optically associated with and receiving light from a group of gate output pixels; and (d) control means for controlling light transmission through the pixels of the light gate, said control means simultaneously turning on one pixel of each group and cycling in sequence through the pixels of each group.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
An optical demultiplexer according to claim 1 wherein said light projection means comprises a fiber-optic bundle extending from adjacent an object, of which an image is to be formed on said first surface, to adjacent said first surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
An optical demultiplexer according to claim 2 wherein said fiber-optic bundle comprises a fiber-optic faceplate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
An optical demultiplexer according to claim 2 wherein said fibers of said fiber-optic bundle are of substantially square cross-section and are arranged on a square lattice, and wherein said input pixels are arranged in a square lattice.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical demultiplexer according to claim 1 wherein there are at least nine input pixels in each of said groups.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
An optical demultiplexer according to claim 1 wherein said light gate comprises a plurality of nematic liquid crystals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
79 words
An optical demultiplexer according to claim 1 wherein the light detector comprises a photodetector having a photosensitive surface and a fiber-optic bundle, said bundle being disposed between said second surface of said light gate and said photosensitive surface for purposes of forming an image of said second surface of said light gate on said photosensitive surface, said photosensitive surface being capable of providing signals representative of the intensity of any light impinging upon differing regions of said photosensitive surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said fiber-optic bundle comprises a fiber-optic faceplate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
67 words
An optical demultiplexer according to claim 7 wherein said fiber-optic bundle comprises at least one fiber for each of said output pixels of said light gate, and wherein said photosensitive surface has at least one of said regions associated with each of said second output pixels and is thus capable of producing separate signals representative of the intensities of light emerging from each of said output pixels.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
181 words
An improved method for coupling an optical image to an optical image detector, the method being of the type wherein the image detector receives the image on a two dimensional array of detector pixel elements and wherein the improvement is a demultiplexing method which provides a pixel resolution substantially grater than the pixel resolution of the detector, said method comprising: (a) projecting the image light onto the input first surface of a light gate having a two dimensional array of pixels which can be switched between on and off states to control the pixel light transmission to an output second surface of the light gate, the light gate having substantially more pixels than the detector; (b) directing the light from each of a plurality of different groups of light gate pixels onto a different one of the detector pixel elements so that each detector pixel element receives light from all the light gate pixels of a different group; and (c) simultaneously turning on one light gate pixel of each group and cycling in sequence through all the pixels of each group.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
181 words
An improved method for coupling an optical image to an optical image detector, the method being of the type wherein the image detector receives the image on a two dimensional array of detector pixel elements and wherein the improvement is a demultiplexing method which provides a pixel resolution substantially grater than the pixel resolution of the detector, said method comprising: (a) projecting the image light onto the input first surface of a light gate having a two dimensional array of pixels which can be switched between on and off states to control the pixel light transmission to an output second surface of the light gate, the light gate having substantially more pixels than the detector; (b) directing the light from each of a plurality of different groups of light gate pixels onto a different one of the detector pixel elements so that each detector pixel element receives light from all the light gate pixels of a different group; and (c) simultaneously turning on one light gate pixel of each group and cycling in sequence through all the pixels of each group.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein said image on said first surface of said light gate is formed by means of a fiber-optic bundle terminating adjacent said first surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method according to claim 11 wherein said fiber-optic bundle comprises a fiber-optic faceplate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 11 wherein said fibers of said fiber-optic bundle are of substantially square cross-section and are arranged on a square lattice, and wherein said input pixels are arranged in a square lattice.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
88 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein there are at least nine input pixels in each of said groups and wherein said methods comprises switching said light gate through a number of states equal to the number of input pixels in each of said groups, each of said states allowing transmission of light from only one of said input pixels in each of said groups to its associated detector pixel and each of said states allowing said transmission from a different input pixel in each of said groups.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein said light gate comprises a plurality of nematic liquid crystals and wherein said switching is effected by varying the electric field applied to said nematic liquid crystals.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method according to claim 10 further including the step of forming on a photosensitive surface of a photodetector an image of said second surface of said light gate by means of a fiber-optic bundle disposed between said second surface of said light gate and said photosensitive surface, said photodetector being capable of producing signals representative of the intensity of light impinging upon differing regions of said photosensitive surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method according to claim 16 wherein said fiber-optic bundle comprises a fiber-optic faceplate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method according to claim 16 wherein said fiber-optic bundle comprises at least one fiber for each of said output pixels of said light gate and wherein said photosensitive surface has at least one of said regions associated with each of said output pixels and is thus capable of producing a separate signal representative of the intensity of any light emerging from each of said output pixels.
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