System and method for processing and displaying light energy

• US 20050029432A1
• Filed: 08/06/2003
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ostromek, Timothy E., Estrera, Joseph P., Bacarella, Antonio V., Davis, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,564,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/208.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A method for processing light energy is provided that includes receiving a plurality of photons reflected by an object and generating sensor data that is based a portion of the plurality of photons received. The sensor data is processed in order to generate processed sensor data. A segment of the processed sensor data that directly corresponds to the portion of the plurality of photons is displayed such that the segment may be viewed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing light energy, comprising:

a sensor element included within an array of sensor elements and operable to receive a plurality of photons reflected by an object;

a sensor drive coupled to the sensor element and correlating directly thereto, the sensor drive and the sensor element cooperating in order to generate sensor data that is based on a portion of the plurality of photons received by the sensor element;

a support electronics element coupled to the sensor drive and correlating directly thereto, the support electronics being operable to process the sensor data in order to generate processed sensor data; and

a display element coupled to the support electronics and correlating directly thereto, the display element being operable to receive the processed sensor data from the support electronics element, the display element being further operable to display a segment of the processed sensor data that directly corresponds to the portion of the plurality of photons.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a thermal stabilization element coupled to the sensor drive and operable to provide a temperature gradient consistency associated with the sensor drive.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a display drive coupled to the support electronics element and the display element, the display drive being operable to format the processed sensor data such that it may be displayed by the display element.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support electronics element is further operable to execute a selected one of digital and analog processing on the sensor data in order to generate the processed sensor data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor drive includes one or more sense amplifiers and one or more equalizers, each of which are operable to manipulate the plurality of photons in order to generate the sensor data.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display element is a selected one of a group consisting of:

an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display;

a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display; and

a reflective liquid crystal display (LCD).

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support electronics element is operable to execute a selected one of a group of operations consisting of:

formatting the sensor data;

correcting non-uniformity characteristics in the sensor data;

executing window manipulations for the sensor data; and

decoding the sensor data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an external processing module coupled to the support electronics element and operable to provide processing instructions to the support electronics element in order to designate a manner in which the sensor data is processed in order to generate the processed sensor data.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support electronics element includes a selected one of a group of processing components consisting of:

a field programmable gate array;

an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM);

an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM);

a microprocessor; and

an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor element includes one or more pixels, and wherein each of the pixels have a one-to-one direct coupling to one or more output segments included in the display element.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein one or more of the pixels communicate with each other in order to facilitate uniformity corrections associated with the plurality of photons, the uniformity corrections being executed in cooperation with the support electronics element.

12. A method for processing light energy, comprising:

receiving a plurality of photons reflected by an object;

generating sensor data that is based on a portion of the plurality of photons received;

processing the sensor data in order to generate processed sensor data; and

displaying a segment of the processed sensor data that directly corresponds to the portion of the plurality of photons such that the segment may be viewed.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

formatting the processed sensor data such that the segment may be displayed.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

executing a selected one of digital and analog processing on the sensor data in order to generate the processed sensor data.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

communicating processing instructions in order to designate a manner in which the sensor data is processed in order to generate the processed sensor data.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

executing uniformity corrections associated with one or more of the plurality of photons in order to manipulate the sensor data before it is processed.

17. A system for processing light energy, comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of photons reflected by an object;

means for generating sensor data that is based on a portion of the plurality of photons received;

means for processing the sensor data in order to generate processed sensor data; and

means for displaying a segment of the processed sensor data that directly corresponds to the portion of the plurality of photons such that the segment may be viewed.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for formatting the processed sensor data such that the segment may be displayed.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for executing a selected one of digital and analog processing on the sensor data in order to generate the processed sensor data.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for communicating processing instructions in order to designate a manner in which the sensor data is processed in order to generate the processed sensor data.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for executing uniformity corrections associated with one or more of the plurality of photons in order to manipulate the sensor data before it is processed.