US 10,242,268 B2 · Pixel-based event detection for tracking, hostile fire indication, glint suppression, and other applications

Abstract

A method includes generating an intensity value based on illumination received at a pixel of an imaging system. The intensity value is generated by integrating values using a first counter of a detector during a first period of time. The method also includes integrating the values repeatedly during smaller second periods of time within the first period of time using a second counter of the detector. The second counter has a lower bit resolution than the first counter. The method further includes resetting the second counter for each of the second periods of time. In addition, the method includes generating a pixel event indicator in response to the second counter outputting a specified value. The method may also include determining whether one or more neighboring detectors also generated one or more pixel event indicators and generating an event indicator when the one or more neighboring detectors also generated the one or more pixel event indicators.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

generating an intensity value based on illumination received at a pixel of an imaging system, the intensity value generated by integrating values using a first counter of a detector during a first period of time;
integrating the values repeatedly during smaller second periods of time within the first period of time using a second counter of the detector, the second counter having a lower bit resolution than the first counter;
resetting the second counter for each of the second periods of time;
and
generating a pixel event indicator in response to the second counter outputting a specified value.

2 more elements

A system comprising:

a focal plane array comprising multiple pixels;
and
for each of at least some of the pixels, a detector configured to measure intensity of illumination received at that pixel and to detect an event using the received illumination, each detector comprising:
a first counter configured to generate an intensity value based on the illumination received at the pixel by integrating values during a first period of time;
a second counter configured to integrate the values repeatedly during smaller second periods of time within the first period of time, the second counterhaving a lower bit resolution than the first counter and configured to be reset for each of the second periods of time;
and
a latch configured to generate a pixel event indicator in response to the second counter outputting a specified value.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

15/424,509Filed 3 Feb 2017

Published

US 2018/0225521 A19 Aug 2018

Granted

26 Mar 2019

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

G06V 20/52
Context or environment of the image: surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects
G01J 1/0266
Details: field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a photometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of the measurement…
G01S 17/04
Systems using the reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves: systems determining the presence of a target
G01T 1/171
Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular type of detector: compensation of dead-time counting losses

Pixel-based event detection for tracking, hostile fire indication, glint suppression, and other applications

Life of this patent

Pixel-based event detection for tracking, hostile fire indication, glint suppression, and other applications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20