IMAGING SYSTEM

• US 20100252736A1
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Selex Galileo Limited (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Selex Galileo Limited (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Knowles, Peter, Crouch, Jeremy, Ash, Richard, Baker, Ian M., Thorne, Peter Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/745,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20100252736A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/332
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/18 wherein range gates are used
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/60 Noise processing, e.g. detecting, correcting, reducing or removing noise
• 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

An imaging system is described which includes a radiation source outputting radiation incident on a scene. The radiation is pulsed and the reflected radiation is detected by a detector array and a resulting signal output by a read out circuit. The signal output is characteristic of the scene on which the radiation is incident. The output signal is combined over a number of pulses, the averaging being carried out on-chip and within the detector circuitry. The radiation source may be a semiconductor diode source amplified with a doped fibre amplifier.

Claims

1. An imaging system comprising:

a pulsed radiation source irradiating a target area; and

a detector for detecting reflected radiation, the detector outputting an output signal characteristic of a scene via a detector read out circuit, in which output signals from several pulses are combined to reduce an effect of noise on the output signal, said combination occurring within a focal plane array of the detector.

2. An imaging system according to claim 1, in which the radiation source is amplified with a doped fibre amplifier.

3. An imaging system according to claim 1, in which the radiation source is a tuneable semiconductor laser.

4. An imaging system according to claim 1, in which the radiation source is a light emitting diode.

5. An imaging system according to claim 2, in which the doped fibre amplifier optical assembly is at least partially integrated into the casing of the instrument.

6. An imaging system according to claim 2, in which the doping in the fibre amplifier is predominantly erbium.

7. An imaging system according to claim 1, in which the radiation source is a semiconductor laser diode or an array of semiconductor laser diodes operating above 1500 nm with sufficiently low power to be considered safe to a human eye.

8. An imaging system according to claim 1 in which the imaging system operates in an infra red range.

9. (canceled)