Two-dimensional incident position detector device for light or radiation

• US 5,012,082 A
• Filed: 02/23/1990
• Issued: 04/30/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Watanabe, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Fields, Carolyn E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A.
• Application Number:
  US07/483,637
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.3, 250/208.2, 250/203.3, 250/369, 250/349, 250/382, 250/363.02, 382/68, 382/27, 358/125, 358/126
• US Class Current: 250/208.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/784 using a mosaic of detectors

Abstract

A two-dimensional incident position detector device for radiation, the device comprising a detector array including a plurality of detection cells in two-dimensional arrangement, and a comparator circuit for comparing an output from a noticed detection cell with outputs from all detection cells adjacent to said noticed cell, whereby a position of the noticed cell is decided as an incident position of light or radiation when the output from the noticed cell is larger than the outputs from all adjacent detection cells.

Claims

1. A two-dimensional incident position detector device for radiation comprising:

(a) a detector array including a plurality of detection cells in two-dimension arrangement;

(b) comparator means for comparing an output from a noticed detection cell among said detection cells with outputs from all other detection cells adjacent to said noticed cell; and

(c) incident position determining means for determining a position of said noticed cell as an incident position of radiation when the output from said noticed cell is larger than the outputs from all adjacent detection cells.

2. A two-dimensional incident position detector device according to claim 1 wherein the outputs from said detection cells are weighted prior to the comparison for correction thereof.

3. A two-dimensional incident position detector device according to claim 2 wherein said weighting is fed back for correction in conformity with a result of the position detection.

4. A two-dimensional incident position detector device according to claim 1 wherein an energy discriminator is provided for preventing said noticed cell from being mistaken as representing an incident position when the output from the noticed cell lies out of a given range.

5. A two-dimensional incident position detector device according to claim 1 wherein said comparator means comprises comparators for respectively comparing the outputs from the adjacent cells with the output from the noticed cell, and a multiple input AND gate whose output is active when results of the comparison by said comparators are all active.

6. A two-dimensional incident position detector device according to claim 1, further comprising means for searching whereby the whole array is searched at a high speed to take out a noticed region, and thereafter an incident position is determined with high resolution by application of a position estimation only to said noticed region.

7. A two-dimensional incident position detector device for radiation comprising:

(a) a detector array including a plurality of detection cells in two-dimensional arrangement;

(b) an adder for doing the sum of outputs from all detection cells adjacent to a noticed detection cell;

(c) a multiplier for multiplying an output from said noticed cell by a given value corresponding to the number of the adjacent cells;

(d) a comparator for comparing an output from said multiplier with an output from said adder; and

(e) means for determining a position of said noticed cell as an incident position when the output from said multiplier is larger than the output from said adder.

8. A two-dimensional incident position detector device for radiation according to claim 7 wherein said given value is larger than the number of the adjacent cells.

9. A two-dimensional incident position detector device for radiation comprising:

(a) a detector array including a plurality of detection cells in two-dimensional arrangement;

(b) an adder for doing the sum of outputs from all detection cells adjacent to a noticed detection cell;

(c) a divider for dividing an output from said adder by a given value corresponding to the number of the adjacent cells;

(d) a comparator for comparing an output from said noticed cell with an output from said divider; and

(e) means for determining a position of said noticed cell as an incident position when the output from said noticed cell is larger than the output from said divider.

10. A two-dimensional incident position detector device according to claim 9 wherein said given value is smaller than the number of the adjacent cells.