IP Library Granted Patent US 11,985,300
Granted Patent B2
US 11,985,300 · App. 17/405,398 · Granted May 14, 2024

Measurement of an image sensor point spread function (PSF)

Inventor: Piotr Stec (Galway, IE)
Assignee: FotoNation Limited
H04N17/002G06T7/80H04N23/80G06T2207/20056
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,985,300
App. No.
17/405,398
Granted
May 14, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques and arrangements that utilize speckle imaging and autocorrelation to estimate the PSF of an image sensor for a digital imaging apparatus, e.g., a camera or a scanner. In particular, a system of components described herein is a simple arrangement that does not require a complex setup. Therefore, the system is portable and easy to set up. Additionally, by utilizing autocorrelation, the calculations of PSF using data obtained by the system are simplified.

Claims (47)

1. A method of determining point spread function (PSF) of an image sensor for an imaging apparatus, the method comprising:

generating, by a laser light source, a laser signal;

directing the laser signal through a diffuser toward a pixel of the image sensor;

based on the laser signal, exciting the pixel of the image sensor to generate an image, wherein a frequency band of the excitation is beyond the image sensor's Nyquist frequency;

multiplying pixel intensity values of the image with a windowing function;

performing a fast Fourier transform of the multiplied pixel intensity values of the image; and

calculating the PSF via autocorrelation of the transformed pixel intensity values.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the PSF based on pixel intensity values of the image via autocorrelation of the pixel intensity values comprises performing autocorrelation of the pixel intensity values in the spatial domain.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the PSF based on pixel intensity values of the image via autocorrelation of the pixel intensity values comprises performing autocorrelation of the pixel intensity values in the frequency domain.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein performing autocorrelation of the pixel intensity values in the frequency domain comprises:

calculating a magnitude of the fast Fourier transform; and

calculating an inverse Fourier transform of the magnitude.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

prior to calculating the PSF, windowing the image.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laser light source is configured to create a sufficiently large spot of light on the diffuser that generates a required speckle size of the image.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the laser signal is a divergent laser signal.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laser light source includes optical elements that allow control of a light spot size on a surface of the diffuser.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

normalizing the PSF to [0,1].

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a plurality of PSF values under different parameters; and

calculating an average PSF value of the image sensor.

11. A system for determining point spread function (PSF) of an image sensor for an imaging apparatus, the system comprising:

a light source;

a diffuser between the light source and the light source; and

a control system, wherein the control system is configured to cause the system to perform actions comprising:

generating a laser signal;

directing the laser signal through a diffuser toward a pixel of the image sensor;

based on the laser signal, exciting the pixel of the image sensor to generate an image, wherein a frequency band of the excitation is beyond the image sensor's Nyquist frequency;

multiplying pixel intensity values of the image with a windowing function;

performing a fast Fourier transform of the multiplied pixel intensity values of the image; and

calculating the PSF via autocorrelation of the transformed pixel intensity values.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein calculating the PSF based on pixel intensity values of the image via autocorrelation of the pixel intensity values comprises performing autocorrelation of the pixel intensity values in the spatial domain.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein calculating the PSF based on pixel intensity values of the image via autocorrelation of the pixel intensity values comprises performing autocorrelation of the pixel intensity values in the frequency domain.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein performing autocorrelation of the pixel intensity values in the frequency domain comprises:

calculating a magnitude of the fast Fourier transform; and

calculating an inverse Fourier transform of the magnitude.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the actions further comprise:

prior to calculating the PSF, windowing the image.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the light source is configured to create a sufficiently large spot of light that generates a required speckle size of the image.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the laser signal is a divergent laser signal.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the light source includes optical elements that allow control of a light spot size on a surface of the diffuser.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the actions further comprise:

normalizing the PSF to [0,1].

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the actions further comprise:

determining a plurality of PSF values under different parameters; and

calculating an average PSF value of the image sensor.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2025
From: TOBII TECHNOLOGIES LTD
To: ADEIA MEDIA HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 071572/0855 →
CONVERSION Recorded Jun 12, 2025
From: ADEIA MEDIA HOLDINGS LLC
To: ADEIA MEDIA HOLDINGS INC.
Reel/Frame 071577/0875 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 28, 2025
From: ADEIA INC. (F/K/A XPERI HOLDING CORPORATION); ADEIA HOLDINGS INC.; ADEIA MEDIA HOLDINGS INC.; ADEIA IMAGING LLC; ADEIA MEDIA LLC; ADEIA MEDIA SOLUTIONS INC.; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR BONDING TECHNOLOGIES INC.; ADEIA TECHNOLOGIES INC.; ADEIA GUIDES INC.; ADEIA SOLUTIONS LLC; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES INC.; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS LLC; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LLC; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES LLC; ADEIA PUBLISHING INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071454/0343 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 5, 2024
From: FOTONATION LIMITED
To: TOBII TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
Reel/Frame 069516/0394 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2021
From: STEC, PIOTR
To: FOTONATION LIMITED
Reel/Frame 057214/0399 →