US 11,892,349 B1
Pupil division multiplexed imaging systems
Thomas A. Mitchell, Arrington, TN (US); and Thomas W. Stone, Hellertown, PA (US)
Assigned to Wavefront Research, Inc., Northampton, PA (US)
Filed by Wavefront Research, Inc., Northampton, PA (US)
Filed on Sep. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/489,079.
Application 15/674,691 is a division of application No. 14/212,635, filed on Mar. 14, 2014, granted, now 9,733,121, issued on Aug. 15, 2017.
Application 17/489,079 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/228,614, filed on Apr. 12, 2021, granted, now 11,353,359.
Application 17/228,614 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/894,772, filed on Jun. 6, 2020, granted, now 10,976,194, issued on Apr. 13, 2021.
Application 16/894,772 is a continuation of application No. 15/674,691, filed on Aug. 11, 2017, granted, now 10,677,645, issued on Jun. 9, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/782,823, filed on Mar. 14, 2013.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01J 1/04 (2006.01); G01J 1/42 (2006.01)
CPC G01J 1/0407 (2013.01) [G01J 1/42 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging optical system, comprising:
at least one segmented light bending element;
said at least one segmented light bending element comprising a plurality of segments, each segment in said plurality of segments being configured to direct a portion of electromagnetic radiation emanating from an object plane in a plurality of portions along a direction in a plurality of directions; wherein each direction in said plurality of directions is substantially different from other directions in said plurality of directions;
an optical sub-system having at least one optical element, said optical sub-system being configured to substantially receive said plurality of portions of said electromagnetic radiation directed in said plurality of directions;
an image plane;
said optical sub-system being configured to substantially focus said plurality of portions of electromagnetic radiation directed in said plurality of directions onto said image plane; and
a plurality of detecting elements;
said plurality of detecting elements being substantially located proximate to said image plane; and
at least one detecting element in in said plurality of detecting elements being configured to substantially receive at least one portion of said plurality of portions of electromagnetic radiation directed in said plurality of directions.