Low Profile Camera and Vision Sensor

摘要

A camera configured for a predetermined environment can be made low profile in the following manner. The camera includes an image sensor that has a light sensitive portion that can sense light from the predetermined environment. A substantially opaque mask is disposed above the light sensitive portion of the image sensor and has at least one opening through which the image sensor senses light. The low profile structure of the camera can be realized with substantially transparent material disposed between the substantially opaque mask and the image sensor that has index of refraction that is greater than an index of refraction of the predetermined environment. Accordingly, light through the opening refracts as it passes through the substantially transparent material to the image sensor.

主权项

1. A method of manufacturing a camera for use in a predetermined environment, comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of substantially opaque mask patterns on substantially transparent material, wherein each of the plurality of substantially opaque mask patterns has a first number of openings and the substantially transparent material has an index of refraction that is greater than an index of refraction of the predetermined environment; separating the substantially transparent material into a plurality of structures, wherein each of the plurality of structures contains at least one of the plurality of substantially opaque mask patterns; positioning a first structure of the plurality of structures onto an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixel elements such that light from the predetermined environment is capable of passing through the first number of openings onto the image sensor and illuminating a second number of pixel elements of the plurality of pixel elements of the image sensor; and configuring the camera to acquire an image from the second number of pixel elements, wherein the second number of pixel elements is greater than the first number of openings of the first structure.