Method for aligning a plurality of sub-apertures of a multiple-aperture imaging system
View Patent ↗A method for aligning a plurality of sub-apertures of a multiple-aperture imaging system including, but not limited to, identifying one sub-aperture to serve as a reference sub-aperture, actuating the reference sub-aperture in a series of piston steps of a known amount, collecting data relating to each image of a plurality of images of a point object, each image corresponding to a respective piston step, compiling the data into a three-dimensional data cube, detecting a plurality of fringes positioned within the three-dimensional data cube, determining the relative location of each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures based on a location of each fringe of the plurality of fringes within the three-dimensional data cube, and actuating a piston associated with at least one sub-aperture based, at least in part, on the relative location to move the at least one sub-aperture into alignment with another sub-aperture and repeating with each remaining sub-aperture until all sub-apertures are at substantially the same piston height.
1. A method for aligning a plurality of sub-apertures of a multiple-aperture imaging system, the method comprising:
identifying one sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures to serve as a reference sub-aperture;
actuating a piston associated with the reference sub-aperture in a series of piston steps of a substantially known amount;
collecting data relating to each image of a plurality of images of an object, each image corresponding to a respective piston step;
compiling the data, with a processor, into a three-dimensional data cube;
detecting, with the processor, a plurality of fringe patterns positioned within the three-dimensional data cube;
determining, with the processor, a relative location of each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures based on a location of each fringe pattern of the plurality of fringe patterns within the three-dimensional data cube; and
actuating a piston associated with at least one sub-aperture based, at least in part, on the relative location to move the at least one sub-aperture into alignment with another sub-aperture and repeating with each remaining sub-aperture until all sub-apertures are at substantially a same height.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting step comprises detecting a number of fringe patterns equal to one less than a total number of sub-apertures of the plurality of sub-apertures.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting step comprises detecting an orientation of each fringe pattern of the plurality of fringe patterns.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining step comprises determining the location of each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures with respect to one sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining step comprises determining the relative location of each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures with respect to a center point of all sub-apertures.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining step comprises determining the relative location of each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures with respect to a center point of piston travel.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining step comprises determining the relative location of each sub-aperture based on a distance between each respective fringe pattern and an end of the three-dimensional data cube.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step for actuating the piston associated with at least one sub-aperture comprises moving the at least one sub-aperture into alignment with another sub-aperture that is positioned closest to a center point of all sub-apertures and repeating with each remaining sub-aperture until all sub-apertures are substantially aligned with the sub-aperture that is positioned closest to the center point of all sub-apertures.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step for actuating the piston associated with at least one sub-aperture comprises moving a first sub-aperture to an approximate center point of all sub-apertures, moving a second sub-aperture into alignment with the first sub-aperture, and repeating with each remaining sub-aperture until all sub-apertures are positioned at the approximate center point of all sub-apertures.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step for actuating a piston associated with at least one aperture comprises moving a first sub-aperture to any desired position within a range of piston travel, moving a second sub-aperture into alignment with the first sub-aperture at the desired position, and repeating with each remaining sub-aperture until all sub-apertures are positioned at the desired position.
11. A method for aligning a plurality of sub-apertures of a multiple-aperture imaging system, the method comprising:
identifying one sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures to serve as a reference sub-aperture;
actuating a piston associated with the reference sub-aperture in a first series of piston steps of a first substantially known amount;
collecting data relating to each image of a first plurality of images of an object, each image of the first plurality of images corresponding to a respective piston step of the first series of piston steps;
compiling the data relating to the first plurality of images, with a processor, into a three-dimensional data cube;
detecting, with the processor, a plurality of fringe patterns positioned within the three-dimensional data cube;
actuating the piston associated with the reference sub-aperture in a second series of piston steps of a second substantially known amount, the second series of piston steps occurring at a position corresponding with a location of the plurality of fringe patterns within the three-dimensional data cube, the second known amount being smaller than the first known amount;
collecting data relating to each image of a second plurality of images of the point object, each image of the second plurality of images corresponding to a respective piston step of the second series of piston steps;
compiling the data relating to the second plurality of images, with the processor, into the three-dimensional data cube;
detecting, with the processor, the plurality of fringe patterns positioned within the three-dimensional data cube;
determining, with the processor, a relative location of each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures based on a location of each fringe pattern of the plurality of fringe patterns within the three-dimensional data cube; and
actuating a piston associated with at least one sub-aperture based, at least in part, on the relative location to move the at least one sub-aperture into alignment with another sub-aperture and repeating with each remaining sub-aperture until all sub-apertures are at substantially a same height.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a range of the second series of piston steps is smaller than an entire range of piston sweep for the reference sub-aperture.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first series of piston steps is terminated once a number of fringe patterns equal to one less than a total number of sub-apertures of the plurality of sub-apertures have been detected.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the detecting step comprises detecting an orientation of each fringe pattern of the plurality of fringe patterns.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining step comprises determining the location of each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures with respect to one sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining step comprises determining the relative location of each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures with respect to a center point of all sub-apertures.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining step comprises determining the relative location of each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures with respect to a center point of piston travel.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step for actuating the piston of the at least one sub-aperture comprises moving the at least one sub-aperture into alignment with a sub-aperture that is positioned closest to a center point of all sub-apertures and repeating with each remaining sub-aperture until all sub-apertures are substantially aligned with the sub-aperture that is positioned closest to the center point of all sub-apertures.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step for actuating the piston associated with at least one sub-aperture comprises moving a first sub-aperture to an approximate center point of all sub-apertures, moving a second sub-aperture into alignment with the first sub-aperture, and repeating with each remaining sub-aperture until all sub-apertures are positioned at the approximate center point of all sub-apertures.
20. A method for aligning a plurality of sub-apertures of a multiple-aperture imaging system, the method comprising:
combining an individual image of a point object from each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures to form an aggregated plurality of individual images of the point object;
determining a correspondence between each individual image of the aggregated plurality of individual images and each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures;
co-aligning all individual images of the aggregated plurality of individual images to form a stack of images, thus forming a single image of the point object;
identifying one sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures to serve as a reference sub-aperture;
actuating a piston associated with the reference sub-aperture in a series of piston steps of a substantially known amount;
collecting data relating to each image of a plurality of images of the point object, each image corresponding to a respective piston step;
compiling the data, with a processor, into a three-dimensional data cube;
detecting, with the processor, a plurality of fringe patterns positioned within the three-dimensional data cube;
determining, with the processor, a relative location of each sub-aperture of the plurality of sub-apertures based on a location of each fringe pattern of the plurality of fringe patterns within the three-dimensional data cube; and
actuating a piston associated with at least one sub-aperture based, at least in part, on the relative location to move the at least one sub-aperture into alignment with another sub-aperture and repeating with each remaining sub-aperture until all sub-apertures are at substantially a same height.