Multi-standard observation camera and a surveillance system using the camera

• US 5,402,168 A
• Filed: 05/28/1993
• Issued: 03/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Original Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Inventors: Fouilloy, Jean-Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): BRITTON, HOWARD W
• Application Number:
  US08/069,111
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 348/164, 348/168, 348/295, 348/322, 250/334
• US Class Current: 348/164
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/51 Control of the gain
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/711 Time delay and integration [TDI] registers; TDI shift registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/155 Control of the image-sensor operation, e.g. image processing within the image-sensor
• 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

This invention provides a multi-standard observation camera fitted with a detector which comprises photosensitive elements arranged in two aligned and/or offset rows, a clock sequencer (22) placed in the same plane as the detector (20), this clock sequencer (22) being used to control the transfer of charges from the sensors into a CCD read circuit (24) to output a video signal compatible with the display monitor television standard. The clock sequencer (22) includes programmable counting resources which define the periods during which the charges are integrated and times at which they are transferred into the read circuit (24), these counting resources being programmed via a link (28) to a memory (25) containing the data required to define several standards. The memory (25) is part of a set of proximity electronics (26) and is controlled by a selection command (27) to match the monitor standard.

Claims

1. A multi-standard observation camera, comprising:

a detector having a predetermined length and being photosensitive to a predetermined spectrum band, said detector including a plurality of sensor elements arranged in horizontal rows along the predetermined length of said detector;

an optomechanical projector and scanning system for projecting an observed image onto a focal plane coinciding with the plane of the detector, said image having a width substantially equal to said predetermined length of the detector, said projection and scanning system scanning said image across said detector in a vertical direction;

a read circuit connected to said detector, said read circuit receiving charges output from said plurality of sensors which charges are proportional to illumination received by said plurality of sensors;

a clock sequencer for controlling the transfer and multiplexing of said charges, said clock sequencer operating in synchronization with a vertical scan wherein said read circuit outputs a video signal to a display monitor operating in a predetermined television standard, said standard being defined by one of a line frequency and a sampling frequency characteristic of the images displayed,

wherein said clock sequencer, said read circuit and said detector are in a cryostat and wherein said clock sequencer includes programmable time-counting resources to define periods over which said charges are integrated and instants at which said charges are transferred and multiplexed, after integration, into said read circuit, said counting resources being preset by a memory positioned outside said cryostat, said memory containing instructions for synchronizing the integration periods and transfer and multiplexing instants with said one of said line frequency and said sampling frequency chosen from several standards preselected in said memory and corresponding to a display monitor standard.

2. An observation camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the counting resources include a first series of programmable counters (CP1 to CP6) which define the instants at which charge integration in the integration capacitors (C_ia to C_if) begin, each programmable counter being coupled to an adjustable counter (CR1 to CR6), said adjustable counters forming a second series of counters which define the period during which charges are integrated in the integration capacitors (C_ia to C_if) and the instants of transfer into the intermediate capacitors (C'"'"'_ia to C'"'"'_if :

C"_ia to C"_if), said second series of counters (CR1 to CR6) being controlled, in time, by the outputs from the first series of counters (CP1 to CP6 respectively).

3. An observation camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the counting resources comprise a first series of FIFO memories (F1 to F6), each FIFO memory being coupled to a group of secondary FIFO memories (F11 to F14, F21 to F24, F31 to F34, F41 to F44, F51 to F54 and F61 to F64 respectively), the first series of FIFO memories (F1 to F6) defining the instants at which integration of the charges in the integration capacitors (C_ia to C_if) starts and the groups of secondary FIFO memories forming a second series of FIFO memories, each secondary FIFO memory being reloadable to output, as appropriate to the selected display standards, a period for integration in the intermediate capacitors (C_ia to C_if and C"_ia to C"_if), the secondary FIFO memories in the second series being triggered by the respective outputs from the first series of FIFO memories.

4. An observation camera as claimed in any of the claims 1, 2 or 3 in which detector sensor elements are organized into several offset rows (SR1 to SR4) to satisfy the sampling requirements.

5. An observation camera as claimed in any of claims 1, 2 to 3 in which the detector sensor elements are organized into several aligned rows (SR'"'"'1 to SR'"'"'4) to operate in the TDI mode.

6. An observation camera as claimed in any of claims 1, 2 or 3 in which the detector sensor elements are organized into offset blocks (A, B), the rows within each block being aligned.

7. An observation camera as claimed in any of claims 1, 2 or 3 in which the detector sensor elements are organized into aligned blocks, the rows within each block being offset.

8. A surveillance system including a multi-standard observation camera, said system comprising:

a detector having a predetermined length and being photosensitive to a predetermined spectrum band, said detector including a plurality of sensor elements arranged in horizontal rows along the predetermined length of said detector;

an optomechanical projector and scanning system for projecting an observed image onto a focal plane coinciding with the plane of the detector, said image having a width substantially equal to said predetermined length of the detector, said projection and scanning system scanning said image across said detector in a vertical direction;

a read circuit connected to said detector, said read circuit receiving charges output from said plurality of sensors which charges are proportional to illumination received by said plurality of sensors;

a clock sequencer for controlling the transfer and multiplexing of said charges, said clock sequencer operating in synchronization with a vertical scan wherein said read circuit outputs a video signal to a display monitor operating in a predetermined television standard, said standard being defined by one of a line frequency and a sampling frequency characteristic of the images displayed,

wherein said clock sequencer, said read circuit and said detector are in a cryostat and wherein said clock sequencer includes programmable time-counting resources to define periods over which said charges are integrated and instants at which said charges are transferred and multiplexed, after integration, into said read circuit, said counting resources being preset by a memory positioned outside said cryostat, said memory containing instructions for synchronizing the integration periods and transfer and multiplexing instants with said one of said line frequency and said sampling frequency chosen from several standards preselected in said memory and corresponding to a display monitor standard.