Raytheon Company

Juliette Costa

Micky R Harris

Eric J Beuville

Christian M Boemler

Mark A Massie

John William Devitt

Roya Mokhtari

Joseph Costa

Digital circuitry is provided that periodically reads at least one bit of digital counters associated with pixels of an image sensor. When the read bit(s) of a particular digital counter decrease between subsequent reads, then the digital circuitry increments an overflow counter associated with the particular digital counter. The value of each of the overflow counters of the digital circuitry are used with the corresponding values of the digital counters to generate pixel values for a frame (also referred to as an image).

Increasing dynamic range of digital pixels by utilizing polling during integration

A method includes repeatedly charging and discharging a capacitor, where the capacitor is charged based on illumination received at a pixel. The method also includes comparing a voltage stored on the capacitor with a reference voltage using a comparator. The method further includes incrementing or decrementing a first counter value of a first counter each time a comparator output indicates that the capacitor voltage has reached the reference voltage during a first period of time. The method also includes incrementing or decrementing a second counter value of a second counter each time the comparator output indicates that the capacitor voltage has reached the reference voltage during multiple smaller second periods of time within the first period of time. In addition, the method includes resetting the second counter for each second period of time and generating a pixel event indicator in response to the second counter value obtaining a value indicative of a bright intensity event.

Pixel-based event detection for tracking, hostile fire indication, glint suppression, and other applications

A method includes generating an intensity value based on illumination received at a pixel of an imaging system. The intensity value is generated by integrating values using a first counter of a detector during a first period of time. The method also includes integrating the values repeatedly during smaller second periods of time within the first period of time using a second counter of the detector. The second counter has a lower bit resolution than the first counter. The method further includes resetting the second counter for each of the second periods of time. In addition, the method includes generating a pixel event indicator in response to the second counter outputting a specified value. The method may also include determining whether one or more neighboring detectors also generated one or more pixel event indicators and generating an event indicator when the one or more neighboring detectors also generated the one or more pixel event indicators.

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Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Juliette Costa