Patent ID: 8248466
Filing Date: 2012-08-21
Classification: G02B,H04N

Abstract:
1. An apparatus, comprising: (a) N light guide portions, wherein N is an integer greater than 1, wherein each light guide portion of the N light guide portions comprises a first light guide end and a second light guide end, wherein if a single image is split into N sub images that respectively enter the N light guide portions and exit through the N first light guide ends, then the N sub images go through the respective N light guide portions and exits through the N second light guide ends undistorted; (b) N image sensor chips, wherein the N image sensor chips are in one-to-one sufficiently close proximity to the N second light guide ends that if the N sub images respectively exit the N light guide portions through the N second light guide ends, then the N sub images respectively completely enter the N image sensor chips, and wherein the N image sensor chips are configured to collect the N sub images and subsequently convert the N sub images into N corresponding digital data; and (c) a processor configured to combine the N corresponding digital data into a single output data, wherein each light guide portion of the N light guide portions comprises multiple fiber optic elements, wherein each fiber optic element of the multiple fiber optic elements comprises a first element end at the first light guide end and a second element end at the second light guide end of the respective light guide portion, wherein each fiber optic element of the multiple fiber optic elements comprises a core and a cladding, wherein the core comprises a first material, wherein the cladding comprises a second material, wherein the second material has a lower index of reflectivity than the first material, and wherein a pitch of pixels of the N image sensor chips is at least twice a pitch of fiber optic elements of the N light guide portions.