Bae Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.

Litton Systems, Inc.

Eo Vista, LLC

Lighthouse Capital Partners, Inc.

Terapulse, Inc.

Steven J Wein

James D Targove

David J Korwan

Dennis P Bowler

Gerard M Perron

Arthur Menikoff

Bruce A Horwitz

An apparatus and corresponding method for line-scan imaging includes a 2D array of light-sensitive detector elements divided into a plurality of sub-arrays. An electrical circuit can be configured to determine a correction for parallax based on detector element values from at least two rows of parallax detecting elements to enable images captured by the sub-arrays to be co-aligned with each other. The 2D array and parallax detecting elements can be located on the same substrate chip. Image data from sub-arrays can be co-aligned with each other based on parallax data from the parallax detecting elements and used to produce hyperspectral images corrected for parallax.

Apparatus and methods for hyperspectral imaging with parallax measurement

An apparatus and corresponding method for line-scan imaging can include a 2D array of light-sensitive detector elements that detect light from a target scene. The 2D array can be divided into a plurality of sub-arrays and supported by an analog amplification and signal conditioning module portion of a read-out integrated circuit (ROIC), the analog module having one or more replicated amplification and signal conditioning circuits in communication with the 2D array detector elements. An analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion electrical circuit module and one or more digital time-delay and integration (TDI) modules can be situated in a portion of the ROIC not supporting the 2D array. The TDI modules can perform TDI of the detector sub-arrays. Embodiments enable hyperspectral images to be obtained with greater imaging range and higher signal-to-noise ratios.

Apparatus and methods for hyperspectral imaging with on-chip digital time delay and integration

A multi field of view (FOV) imaging system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a dual FOV imaging system includes a composite lens array including a first lens set positioned to focus a first type of FOV and a second lens set positioned to focus a second type of FOV and a composite focal plane array (FPA) including multiple focal plane arrays (FPAs). Further, the composite FPA is disposed at the first type of FOV and the second type of FOV for producing a seamless mosaic dual FOV image of a target region.

Multi field of view imaging system

An apparatus for optical spectrometry utilizes a simplified construction, reducing the number of independent optical elements needed while providing a sizeable dispersed spectrum. The apparatus provides a spectral intensity distribution of an input source wherein individual spectral components in the source can be measured and, in some embodiments, can be manipulated or filtered.

Optical multiplexer/demultiplexer

A compact momentum-balanced internal optical scanning mechanism is provided for a wide angle camera used in photo reconnaissance and the like, in which a large high resolution but not fully populated array is used to provide full scene coverage with high pixel densities, in which sharpness is maintained and in which the image can be scanned without vibration due to momentum compensation so that the image may be shifted on the focal plane array in such a manner that images focused on a dark portion of the array will move to an active portion of the array, with the sequential read out of the information concatenated into high resolution full scene image data.

Momentum balance optical scanning for wide field of view optical sensors

In the subject three-axis pointing system, the elevation and tip mirror axes are permanently mounted with their rotation axes orthogonal to each other to eliminate gimbal lock over the hemisphere, to avoid high accelerations as the zenith or nadir pointing directions are approached, and to provide optimal two-axis beam pointing control.

High accuracy optical pointing apparatus

Methods and apparatus for rapid, accurate OSNR measurements by directly measuring the spectrally-resolved State of Polarization (SOP) variation across each DWDM channel and using a polarization controller to deterministically extinguish the signal across narrow frequency subbands within each DWDM channel. In-band ASE noise is subsequently measured as a function of frequency across the channel bandwidth.

Optical signal-to-noise monitor having increased coherence

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for compensating for polarization mode dispersion in an optical transmission system without perturbing the laser source. The present invention compensates for PMD by transferring a sufficient fraction of the light signal in an optical transmission system substantially into a single PSP of the system. As a result, each light pulse in a data stream is not substantially mixed with temporally adjacent light pulses or bit periods.

Polarization mode dispersion compensation in optical transmission media

An optical system and a method for separating overlapping spectra from a diffraction grating and an imaging spectrometer with increased free spectral range are disclosed. The light from a diffraction grating consists of multiple spectra overlapping each other and displaced along a spectral axis. The invention directs the light from the grating to a refractive element such, as a prism. The prism further disperses the light along the same spectral axis. The individual spectra are sufficiently displaced such that they no longer interfere with each other.

Optical system and method for eliminating overlap of diffraction spectra

An optical dispersion sensor for sensing optical dispersion introduced by the atmosphere in near real-time and an optical system using the dispersion sensor to compensate for atmospheric dispersion are described. The input signal to the dispersion sensor is the image of the scene being viewed by a scanning optical system. The image of the scene is passed through an aperture near the image plane of the optical system and then onto at least two individual light detecting systems. One of the detecting systems is adapted to detect light of a first wavelength band. The other detecting system detects light of a second wavelength band. The sensor computes the relative time delay between the signals derived from the two detecting systems. The time delay indicates the spectral dispersion introduced by the atmosphere. In an optical system, a control circuit adjusts a variable dispersive element contained within the optical system to compensate for the atmospheric dispersion by driving the relative time delay between signals towards zero.

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Sudbury, MA, United States of America

Steven J Wein