Elbit Systems Electro-Optics Elop Ltd.

Shalom Binder

Avishay Nachum

Dov Frieman

Dov Freiman

An apparatus for increasing the resolution of at least one portion of a cryogenically cooled and vacuum-sealed infrared imaging detector including a two-dimensional detector array having a fill factor value, the portion of the array successively exposed to an image scene to acquire multiple infrared imaging samples of the scene, a masking filter having a single pattern, disposed between the array and the image scene and operative to reduce the fill factor value of the portion of the array by a fill factor reduction amount (FFRA), an optical element disposed between the masking filter and the image scene, a directional angle shifter for shifting an angle at which the imaging samples are directed onto the portion of the array thereby successively shifting the image scene relative to the portion of the array between each of the imaging samples by a shifting increment corresponding to the FFRA and a processor.

Infrared detector with increased image resolution

Apparatus for increasing resolution of cryogenically cooled vacuum-sealed infrared imaging detector. A two-dimensional detector array of photosensitive pixels is successively exposed to an image scene, acquiring multiple imaging samples. A masking filter, disposed between the detector array and image scene focal plane, is maintained at a fixed position with respect to the detector array, and reduces the region of pixels collecting incident radiation for each imaging sample such that only a portion of each pixel area of the image scene is imaged onto the corresponding detector array pixel. Shifting means successively shifts the optical path of the image scene relative to the masking filter, by a shifting increment or fill-factor reduction amount equal to a fraction of the array pixel width, to image different sub-pixel regions in each imaging sample. A processor reconstructs an image frame having a resolution greater than the intrinsic detector resolution by the fill-factor reduction amount.

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Rishon Lezion, Israel

Shalom Binder