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:
Oct. 08, 1996
Filed:
Apr. 28, 1995
James T Woolaway, II, Goleta, CA (US);
Joseph A Spagnolia, Ventura, CA (US);
William H Frye, Goleta, CA (US);
Santa Barbara Research Center, Goleta, CA (US);
Abstract
An adaptive dynamic range control circuit architecture is disclosed that enables an IR-FPA (10) to achieve a higher dynamic range. The circuit architecture significantly reduces a resolution required for an analog-to-digital converter (ADC 24) that converts the analog output signals of the IR-FPA to a digital representation. In a preferred embodiment of this invention a column CTIA readout integrated circuit architecture is used in conjunction with the adaptive feedback circuitry of this invention to provide pedestal suppression on a per-pixel basis for the IR-FPA. The use of the circuitry of this invention modifies the conventional column CTIA amplifier configuration to a configuration having an auto-zeroed charge ratioed gain stage (50). One advantage to this technique is that by suppressing the charge pedestal, the usable signal output from the IR-FPA can be brought off-chip to the readout integrated circuit at a much higher gain. As a result, the ADC requires fewer bits to resolve the useable signal information and dynamic range.