Electron bombarded passive pixel sensor imaging
AssigneeIntevac, Inc.
InventorVerle W. Aebi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A low light level image directed to a photocathode in a vacuum causes release of electron which bombard a CMOS imager including passive pixel sensors which in turn generates an electronic image which is fed out of the vacuum and is used to create useful images corresponding to the low level input image. A camera and other low light imaging devices are described.
Claims30
A low light imaging system comprising
- a photocathode sensor within a vacuum envelope,
- a passive pixel imager within the vacuum envelope in a facing relationship to said photocathode sensor, and
- an electron transfer system to cause electrons emitted by said photocathode sensor in response to a light input image to migrate through said vacuum envelope and bombard said passive pixel sensor as to form an electronic image of said input low light image.
A method of recording low light level images comprising projecting an input image to be recorded onto a photocathode to cause said photocathode to release electrons in a spatial configuration into a vacuum chamber conforming to an input image,
- positioning a passive pixel sensor at a receiving plane of the electron image within the vacuum chamber, and
- directing the output of said active pixel sensor out of said vacuum to a recording device.
A night vision system comprising
- a vacuum envelope,
- a passive pixel CMOS sensor positioned in said vacuum envelope,
- a photocathode to generate an electronic image within said vacuum conforming to incoming light information,
- transfer fields within said vacuum to cause said electronic image to bombard said passive pixel CMOS sensor to thereby generate electronic information, and
- feed means to transfer the electronic information out of said vacuum.
A method to record low light level images comprising
- projecting an input image to be recorded onto a photocathode to cause said photocathode to release electrons in a spatial configuration into a vacuum chamber conforming to the input image,
- positioning a passive pixel sensor at a receiving plane of the electron image within the vacuum chamber,
- creating a electron driving field from the photocathode to the passive pixel sensor to cause electrons to bombard the passive pixel sensor within the vacuum chamber, and
- directing the output of said active pixel sensor out of said vacuum chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.