Systems, Methods, and Media for Recording an Image Using an Optical Diffuser

Abstract

Systems, methods, and media for recording an image of a scene are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, systems for recording an image of a scene are provided, comprising: a diffuser that diffuses light representing the scene and that has a scattering function that is independent of aperture coordinates; a sensor that receives diffused light representing the scene and generates data representing an image; and a hardware processor that uses a point spread function to deblur the image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for recording an image of a scene, comprising:
 a diffuser that behaves in accordance with a scattering function so that light representing the scene entering a first side of the diffuser is output by a second side of the diffuser as a blurred form of the light representing the scene;   an image sensor that receives the blurred form of the light representing the scene and generates image data representing a first image based on the blurred form of the light representing the scene; and   a hardware processor that uses a point spread function corresponding to the scattering function to generate a second image based on the image data representing the first image and that corresponds to a deblurred version of the first image.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the diffuser is radially symmetric. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a one-dimensional thickness profile of the radially symmetric diffuser along a radial direction is random. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the diffuser is a kinoform type diffuser. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the scattering function is a symmetric distribution function. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a camera having an aperture, and wherein the scattering function does not vary as a function of aperture coordinates of describing the aperture. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a lens through which the light representing the scene passes before it is incident on the first side of the diffuser. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a lens through which the blurred form of the light representing the scene passes before it is incident on the image sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a display that displays the deblurred image. 
     
     
         10 . A method for recording an image of a scene, comprising:
 diffusing light representing the scene using a diffuser that behaves in accordance with a scattering function so that the light representing the scene entering a first side of the diffuser is output by a second side of the diffuser as a blurred form of the light representing the scene;   receiving the blurred form of the light representing the scene using an image sensor;   generating image data representing a first image based on the blurred form of the light representing the scene received by the image sensor; and   generating a second image that corresponds to a deblurred version of the first image based on the image data representing the first image using a point spread function corresponding to the scattering function.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the diffuser is radially symmetric. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a one-dimensional thickness profile of the radially symmetric diffuser along a radial direction is random. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the diffuser is a kinoform type diffuser. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the scattering function is a symmetric distribution function. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising passing the light representing the scene through a camera aperture before it is incident on the first side of the diffuser, wherein the scattering function does not vary as a function of aperture coordinates of describing the aperture. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising passing the light representing the scene through a lens before it is incident on the first side of the diffuser. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising passing the blurred form of the light representing the scene through a lens before it is incident on the image sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising displaying the deblurred image using a display.