Multiple band imager and method
First Claim
1. Apparatus for imaging a scene, comprising a focusing structure for focusing light emanating from a scene on an imaging subsystem, and an imaging subsystem including an imager disposed within the optical path of said focusing structure and having an array of pixels sensitive to light at frequencies higher than far infrared frequencies, and a frequency shifter disposed between said focusing structure and said imager, where said frequency shifter includes an array of frequency-shifting elements disposed over a proper subset of said array of pixels, said elements shifting the far infrared frequencies from said focused light to higher frequencies and transmitting the resulting signals to said subset of said array of pixels.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for imaging a scene, comprising a focusing structure for focusing light emanating from a scene on an imaging subsystem, and an imaging subsystem. The imaging subsystem includes an imager, disposed within the optical path of the focusing structure, having an array of pixels sensitive to light at frequencies higher than far infrared frequencies, and a frequency shifter disposed between the lens element and the imager. The frequency shifter includes an array of frequency-shifting elements disposed over a subset of the array of pixels, the elements shifting the far infrared frequencies from the focused light to higher frequencies and transmitting the resulting signals to the subset of the array of pixels.
22 Citations
16 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for imaging a scene, comprising a focusing structure for focusing light emanating from a scene on an imaging subsystem, and an imaging subsystem including an imager disposed within the optical path of said focusing structure and having an array of pixels sensitive to light at frequencies higher than far infrared frequencies, and a frequency shifter disposed between said focusing structure and said imager, where said frequency shifter includes an array of frequency-shifting elements disposed over a proper subset of said array of pixels, said elements shifting the far infrared frequencies from said focused light to higher frequencies and transmitting the resulting signals to said subset of said array of pixels.
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9. Apparatus for imaging a scene, comprising a focusing structure for focusing light emanating from a scene on an imaging subsystem, and an imaging subsystem including an imager disposed with the optical path of said focusing structure and having an array of pixels sensitive to light at frequencies higher than far infrared frequencies, and a frequency shifter disposed between said focusing structure and said imager, where said frequency shifter includes an array of frequency-shifting elements disposed over a proper subset of said array of pixels, said elements shifting the far infrared frequencies from said focused light to higher frequencies and transmitting the resulting signals to said subset of said array of pixels, wherein said focusing structure comprises one or more lenses for focusing the far infrared image from said scene on a first area of said imager, and an image comprised of a different range of frequencies from said scene on a second area of said imager, and wherein said one or more lenses are constructed and oriented such that said first and second areas are generally coincident and said far infrared image and said other image overlap and are aligned in registration with one another.
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10. Apparatus for imaging a scene, comprising a focusing structure for focusing light emanating from a scene on an imaging subsystem, and an imaging subsystem including an imager disposed within the optical path of said focusing structure and having an array of pixels sensitive to light at frequencies higher than far infrared frequencies, and a frequency shifter disposed between said focusing structure and said imager, where said frequency shifter includes an array of frequency-shifting elements disposed over a proper subset of said array of pixels, said elements shifting the far infrared frequencies from said focused light to higher frequencies and transmitting the resulting signals to said subset of said array of pixels, wherein said focusing structure comprises one or more lenses for focusing the far infrared image from said scene on a first area of said imager, and an image comprised of a different range of frequencies from said scene on a second area of said imager, and wherein said one or more lenses are constructed and oriented such that said far infrared image and said other image are not in registration with one another.
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11. A method of imaging a scene, comprising the steps of:
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focusing light emanating from a scene on a surface having an array of pixels that are insensitive to far infrared light but are sensitive to light at other frequencies, for a proper subset of pixels of said array of pixels, shifting the far infrared component of the light to a frequency to which said pixels are sensitive, and generating separate thermal and non-thermal images from said array of pixels. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method of imaging a scene, comprising the steps of:
- focusing light emanating from a scene on a surface having an array of pixels that are insensitive to far infrared light but are sensitive to light at other frequencies, for a proper subset of pixels of said array of pixels, shifting the far infrared component of the light to a frequency to which said pixels are sensitive, and generating separate thermal and non-thermal images from said array of pixels, wherein the step of generating images comprises the assembling the pixels from said proper subset of pixels into said thermal image and assembling all other pixels into said non-thermal image, and wherein the step of assembling all other pixels into said non-thermal image includes the step of creating an estimated nonthermal value for each pixel in said proper subset of pixels and using said estimated non-thermal pixel values in assembling said nonthermal image.
- View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method of imaging a scene, comprising the steps of:
- focusing light emanating from a scene on a surface having an array of pixels that are insensitive to far infrared light but are sensitive to light at other frequencies, for a proper subset of pixels of said array of pixels, shifting the far infrared component of the light to a frequency to which said pixels are sensitive, and generating separate thermal and non-thermal images from said array of pixels, wherein the step of shifting comprises the steps of detecting far infrared light at each said pixel in said proper subset of pixels and, at said pixel, generating light at a non-far infrared frequency but at a level proportional to the level of said detected far infrared light.
Specification