The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 21, 1996
Filed:
Oct. 25, 1994
Bernd Uwira, Konstanz, DE;
Abstract
A passive, picture-resolving detector assembly has a matrix detector (32) and an imaging optical device (16,30) for forming an image of an object scene on the matrix detector. The matrix detector includes a two-dimensional array of detector elements (50) and each of the detector elements (50) is arranged to receive, in cyclic succession, a plurality of picture elements of the image in order to improve resolution. A micro-mechanical mirror array (18) having a two-dimensional array of mirror elements (48) is provided and each of the mirror elements (48) is arranged to be alternatively moved, by control signals applied thereto, into a first operative position or into a second operative position. The imaging optical device comprises a first imaging optical system (16) having a beam axis and arranged to form a high-resolution image of the object scene on the micro-mechanical mirror array (18). The imaging optical device, furthermore, comprises a second imaging optical system (30) arranged to image the micro-mechanical mirror array (18) on the matrix detector (32) such that each detector element (50) receives light from an associated sub-matrix (48) of the micro-mechanical mirror array (18), each such associated sub-matrix (48) including a plurality of mirror elements (56). The mirror elements (56) are arranged to deflect, in the first operative position thereof, light received from the first imaging optical system (16) past the matrix detector (32) and, in the second operative position thereof, the light received from the first imaging optical system onto the respective associated detector element (50) of the matrix detector. The micro-mechanical mirror array (18) is controllable such as to move, in cyclic succession, predetermined ones of the mirror elements (56) of the sub-matrices into the second operative position and the remaining mirrors of the sub-matrix (48) into the first operative position.