System for and method of configurable diagonal and multi-mission line scan array imaging

A line scanning imaging device for imaging a scene, the device having a readout rate that is greater than a line rate, comprising:

• an array of unit cells each configured to store charge and generate an associated digital value based on photons detected by an associated projected detector;
• a digital memory structure having a plurality of storage locations, each associated with a corresponding unit cell and configured to store one of the digital values and to be individually addressable;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• select a diagonal scan geometry including a set of unit cells selected from a single row of the array in an angled orientation relative to changes in relative position between a projected detector field of view (PDFOV) and the scene;
• scan, during at least one sampling period, the diagonal scan geometry in a shift mode, wherein, during the shift mode, for each of the unit cells in the diagonal scan geometry, the controller determines a digital value based on stored charge associated with the PDFOV of the scene, adds the determined digital value to the corresponding storage location, and shifts stored summed digital values between adjacent corresponding storage locations;
• and
• generate image pixels for the scene from the summed digital values of a set of the corresponding storage locations.

A method of generating image data for a scene with a multi-sensor imaging platform operating at a sampling rate defining sampling periods, comprising a primary sensor array, and a secondary sensor array arranged non-parallel with respect to the primary sensor array, the secondary sensor array comprised of a configurable array of time delay and integrate (TDI) unit cells adapted to store charge based on detected photons, a controller configurable to operate in an accumulate mode and a shift mode, and a digital memory structure having a plurality of storage locations, each storage location to store a digital value and being individually addressable by the controller, each of the unit cells being associated with a corresponding storage location, wherein the method comprises the steps performed by the controller, of:

• acquiring primary mission image data for the scene with the primary sensor array;
• and
• simultaneously acquiring secondary mission image data for the scene with the secondary sensor array on a non-interference basis with the primary sensor array, by
• non-orthogonally scanning, during each sampling period, the diagonal scan geometry in either an accumulate mode or a shift mode;
• wherein, during the accumulate mode, for at least one of the TDI unit cells in the diagonal scan geometry, the controller determines a digital value based on stored charge associated with the PDFOV, and adds the determined digital value to the corresponding storage location;
• and
• wherein, during the shift mode, for at least one of the TDI unit cells in the diagonal scan geometry, the controller determines a digital value based on stored charge associated with the PDFOV of the scene, adds the determined digital value to the corresponding storage location, shifts stored summed digital values between adjacent corresponding storage locations, and generates secondary image pixels for the scene from the summed digital values of a set of the corresponding storage locations.

A multi-sensor imaging platform for generating image data for a scene, the imaging platform operating at a sampling rate defining sampling periods comprising:

• a primary sensor array configured to acquire primary mission image data for the scene;
• and
• a secondary sensor array arranged non-parallel with respect to the primary sensor array, the secondary sensor array comprised of a configurable array of time delay and integrate (TDI) unit cells adapted to store charge based on detected photons, a controller configurable to operate in an accumulate mode and a shift mode, and a digital memory structure having a plurality of storage locations, each storage location to store a digital value and being individually addressable by the controller, each of the unit cells being associated with a corresponding storage location, wherein the controller is configured to:
• acquire simultaneously with the primary sensor secondary mission image data for the scene on a non-interference basis with the primary sensor array, by
• non-orthogonally scanning, during each sampling period, the diagonal scan geometry in either an accumulate mode or a shift mode;
• wherein, during the accumulate mode, for at least one of the TDI unit cells in the diagonal scan geometry, the controller determines a digital value based on stored charge associated with the PDFOV, and adds the determined digital value to the corresponding storage location;
• and
• wherein, during the shift mode, for at least one of the TDI unit cells in the diagonal scan geometry, the controller determines a digital value based on stored charge associated with the PDFOV of the scene, adds the determined digital value to the corresponding storage location, shifts stored summed digital values between adjacent corresponding storage locations, and generates secondary image pixels for the scene from the summed digital values of a set of the corresponding storage locations.