Imaging system
Patent 4952809 Issued on August 28, 1990. Estimated Expiration Date: 
July 6, 2008. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
July 6, 2008. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent References 3723642 3804976 3833762 Optical scanning systems Thermal imaging systems Moving image scanner Infrared viewing system Scan conversion circuit Combined staring and scanning photodetector sensing system having both temporal and spatial filtering Pulsed radiation detection system Patent #: 4757200 InventorAssigneeApplicationNo. 215507 filed on 07/06/1988US Classes:250/342, Locating infrared emissive objects250/203.1, Following a target (e.g., a star or instrument pointer or other object) other than a pattern250/206.1, Having means to generate positional information in at least one plane of a target moving relative to one or more photodetectors250/334, Including means for scanning field of view348/164InfraredExaminersPrimary: Buczinski, Stephen C.Attorney, Agent or FirmForeign Patent References
International ClassesG01J 001/20H01L 025/00 Foreign Application Priority Data1987-07-08 GBAbstractAn infra-red imaging system is operable selectively in wide and narrow field of view modes. Radiation from the object is imaged onto an infra-red CCD staring focal plane array (SFPA) which provides an output representing the image. In the narrow field of view mode, operative on detection of a particular target by target detection electronics, the image is not scanned but is made to follow any movement of the target, and the SFPA stares at the target to build up an image. In the wide field of view mode, the same SFPA is used to provide the image, but the image is scanned along a swath. Smearing of the image is minimized by driving the IRCCD array such that the image-bearing charge is passed down the array from element to element at a speed equal to the scanning speed, so that the output signal from the end element represents the intensity of radiation from a given portion of the object time-integrated by all the elements of the array in succession. | |
