PHOTODETECTOR LIGHT PATTERN DETECTOR

• US 3,689,772 A
• Filed: 08/18/1971
• Issued: 09/05/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nicholas George
• Original Assignee: Abraham Spindel, James T. Thomasson, Nicholas George
• Inventors: George, Nicholas, James, T. Thomasson, Spindel, Abraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Walter Stolwein
• Application Number:
  US05/172,629
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 250/211,211J,212 350/162SF 356/71 317/235N
• US Class Current: 257/443
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/46 Systems using spatial filters
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/88 Image or video recognition using optical means, e.g. reference filters, holographic masks, frequency domain filters or spatial domain filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/00 Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate details thereof H01L23/00, H01L29/00 - H10K10/00; assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual solid state devices H01L25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1446 in a repetitive configuration

Abstract

A special photodetector array for sampling the light energy distribution in a plane, such as the diffraction or fouriertransform pattern of an illuminated object transparency which is obtained by a well-known optical configuration in the rear focal plane of a simple lens. The function of the array, in this diffraction pattern measurement example, is to provide simultaneous and nearly instantaneous voltage readouts corresponding to the power spectral density and to the angular variations in the spatial structure of the input object'"'"''"'"'s pattern. The array comprises first and second semi-circular subarrays. The first sub-array comprises a plurality of concentric annular detectors, such as hemi-rings. The second sub-array comprises a plurality of detectors extending approximately radially from near to the center of the first sub-array. Each detector of the array is provided with a separate attached electrical conductor. The conductors attached to the ring detectors are positioned in portions of approximately radial sector gaps separating the two sub-arrays.

Claims

1. Apparatus for sampling the light energy distribution in the rear focal-plane of a spherical lens for sampling geometric relationships and the spectral density distribution of objects recorded on film transparencies, said apparatus comprising:

a single monolithic array of photodetectors having a circular array of detectors comprising first and second semi-circular sub-arrays of detectors;

the first sub-array comprising a plurality of annular detectors concentric about the center of the circular array; and

the second sub-array comprising a plurality of portions of sector detectors extending approximately radially from the center of the circular array.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each detector of the array is provided with a separate attached electrical conductor.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second sub-arrays are separated by radial sector gaps.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein each zone detector of the first sub-array is provided with a separated attached electrical conductor extending from the detector to the outer edge of the array, the conductors being positioned in the radial sector gaps.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said conductors are integral with the respective zone detector.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the electrical conductors of the second sub-array are attached to the sector detectors at the periphery of the array.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each sector detector of the second sub-array extends outward from a point on a radius of the circular array.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and further including a circular detector at the center of the array.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 and further including a circular detector at the center of the array, the circular detector being provided with a separate attached electrical conductor positioned in one of the approximately radial sector gaps.

10. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein a plurality of ring detectors of the first sub-array is provided with a separate attached electrical conductor extending accurately along the detector.