DIGITAL LOW-LIGHT VIEWING DEVICE

• US 20090091634A1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenonics, Inc. (Xenonics Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xenonics Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Palmer, Gary, Kennedy, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,795,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/217.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/12 with means for image conversion or intensification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• 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 low-light viewing device includes a housing, having mounted thereto: a lens, an electronic camera for receiving light focused by the lens and for providing an output signal; a display for receiving the output signal and displaying an image detected by the camera; a controller for controlling the camera and the display, and a user interface for operating the controller. The lens may be a fixed focus lens having an F number of less than about 1, and a T number of less than about 1.5. The display may have a resolution at least as great as the resolution of the camera. The device may have a processor programmed to provide control signals to the camera and display depending on a selected light environment.

Claims

1. A low-light viewing device, comprising:

a housing, having mounted thereto;

a lens having an F number of less than about 1, and a T number of less than about 1.5;

an electronic camera for receiving light focused by the lens and for providing an output signal responsive to visible light and near infrared light received by the lens;

a display for receiving the output signal and displaying an image detected by the camera;

a controller operatively coupled to the camera and the display for controlling the camera and the display, and a user interface operatively coupled to the controller for operating the controller.

2. The low-light viewing device of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to provide control signals to the camera and display depending on a light environment.

3. The low-light viewing device of claim 2, wherein said control signals comprise signals to set at least the following camera settings:

integration, ALC/ELC, Level, AGC, Gain, Priority and Gamma.

4. The low-light viewing device of claim 2, wherein said control signals comprise signals to set at least the following display settings:

Brightness, Contrast, Sharpness, Gamma and offset.

5. The low-light viewing device of claim 1, wherein said display has a resolution of at least 1280 by 720 pixels, and said camera has a resolution of at least about 800 by 640 pixels.

6. A low-light viewing device, comprising:

a housing, having mounted thereto;

a lens;

an electronic camera having a resolution of at least about 800 by 640 pixels for receiving light focused by the lens and for providing an output signal responsive to visible light and near infrared light received by the lens;

a display having a resolution greater than a resolution of the camera for receiving the output signal and displaying an image detected by the camera;

a controller operatively coupled to the camera and the display for controlling the camera and the display, and a user interface operatively coupled to the controller for operating the controller.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the camera outputs an analog data signal, and further comprising a video decoder within the housing for receiving the analog data signal and outputting a digital video signal.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a video processor within the housing for receiving the digital video signal and formatting the digital video signal.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising a statistically converging recurrent associative memory (SCRAM) device within the housing and associated with the video processor.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the display has a resolution of at least about 1280 by 720 pixels.

11. A low-light viewing device, comprising:

a housing having a planar top surface;

opposing side walls which taper gradually outward from opposite edges of the top surface, and taper gradually inward to edges of a generally planar lower surface;

a lens mounted on one end of the housing;

an electronic camera within the housing for receiving light focused by the lens and for providing an output signal responsive to visible light and near infrared light received by the lens;

a display for receiving the output signal and displaying an image detected by the camera and mounted on an end of the housing opposite the lens;

a controller operatively coupled to the camera and the display for controlling the camera and the display, and

a user interface defined in the top surface of the housing and operatively coupled to the controller for operating the controller;

wherein the device is configured as a monocular.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said side walls have thereon a resilient material having a high coefficient of friction.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the device further comprises a battery in the housing, a weight of the device being not more than about 20 ounces.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the housing is made of steel.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein:

the lens has an F number of less than about 1, and a T number of less than about 1.5;

the camera has a resolution of at least about 800 by 640 pixels;

the display has a resolution of at least about 1280 by 720 pixels;

the device comprises a battery in the housing; and

a weight of the device is not more than about 20 ounces.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the controller is adapted to provide camera settings to the camera and display settings to the display based on a selected light environment.

17. A method for providing low-light viewing, comprising the steps of:

focusing, via a lens mounted on a housing, visible and infrared light on to a camera within the housing;

receiving a user selection of light environment level at a user interface on the housing;

providing control signals, based on the selected light environment, from a controller in the housing to the camera and to a display within the housing;

implementing camera settings based on the control signals;

providing, from the camera, an output signal indicative of a focused image;

implementing display settings based on the control signals; and

displaying an image based on the output signal at the display.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said camera settings comprise one or more of:

integration, ALC/ELC, Level, AGC, Gain, Priority and Gamma.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said display settings comprise one or more of:

Brightness, Contrast, Sharpness, Gamma and offset.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the lens comprises a fixed focus lens having lens having an F number of less than about 1, and a T number of less than about 1.5.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the display has a resolution at least as great as the resolution of the camera.