A system for imaging with a circularly symmetric multifocal aspheric lens is
provided
for obtaining an extended depth of field. The system includes a camera for capturing
an image of at least one object through a circularly symmetric multifocal aspheric
lens to provide a blurred image, and a computer system for processing the captured
blurred image to provide a recovered image of the object having an extended depth
of field. The recovered image may be outputted to a display or other peripheral
device. Processing of the blurred image utilizes one of inverse filtering, convolution
matrix (e.g., edge sharpening matrix), or maximum entropy. The computer system
performing image processing may be in the camera or represent a computer system
external to the camera which receives the blurred image. The extended depth of
field is characterized by the object being in focus over a range of distances in
the recovered image.
