Method and apparatus of digital calibration and position analysis of a radiant emission

A system for digital calibration of the position of impingement of a radiant emission on a multicell detector comprising:

• means for directing radiant emissions to said multicell detector from a number of known positions;
• means for sampling the amplitude response of each cell a number of times at each position of the emission;
• means for converting the analog amplitude response of each cell to a digital amplitude response;
• means for normalizing the digital amplitude response of each cell;
• means for averaging the normalized digital amplitude response of each cell;
• means, responsive to said means for normalizing, and said means for averaging the normalized digital amplitude response, for determining the standard deviation value for each cell at its respective amplitude;
• means, responsive to said means for normalizing, for determining the slope of the amplitude response of each cell at each emission position;
• divider means, responsive to said means for determining slope and said means for determining standard deviation value, for calculating a weighting factor representing the uncertainty of the origin position for each cell at each emission origin position;
• means, responsive to said means for directing radiant emissions, for indicating the origin position of the impinging radiant emission;
• means, responsive to said means for indicating origin position, for establishing the relative direction of the impingement relative to each cell;
• means, responsive to said means for establishing, for storing the amplitude response of each cell for each radiant emission origin position and the corresponding weighting factor and representation of the location of each origin position in one of two storage areas.

A system for digital calibration in each of two dimensions of the position of impingement of a radiant emission on a multicell two-dimensional array detector including a calibration unit associated with each dimension, each said calibration unit comprising:

• means for directing radiant emissions to said multicell detector from a number of known positions;
• means for sampling the amplitude response of each cell a number of times at each position of the emission;
• means for converting the analog amplitude response of each cell to a digital amplitude response;
• means for normalizing the digital amplitude response of each cell;
• means for averaging the normalized digital amplitude response of each cell;
• means, responsive to said means for normalizing, and said means for averaging the normalized digital amplitude response, for determining the standard deviation value for each cell at its respective amplitude;
• means, responsive to said means for normalizing, for determining the slope of the amplitude response of each cell at each emission position;
• divider means, responsive to said means for determining slope and said means for determining standard deviation value, for calculating a weighting factor representing the uncertainty of the origin position for each cell at each origin position;
• means, responsive to said means for directing radiant emissions, for indicating the origin position of the impinging radiant emission;
• means, responsive to said means for indicating origin position, for establishing the relative direction of the impingement relative to each cell;
• means, responsive to said means for establishing, for storing the amplitude response of each cell for each radiant emission origin position and the corresponding weighting factor and representation of the location of each origin position in one of two storage areas.

A digital system for position analysis of impingement of a radiant emission on a multicell detector comprising:

• means for sampling the output of each cell to detect its output in response to a radiant emission impinging on an undefined position on the detector;
• means for converting the analog output of each cell to a digital output;
• means for normalizing the digital output of each cell;
• means for comparing the normalized digital output of each cell to determine the two cells having greatest amplitude response;
• means for determining whether the cell with the greatest amplitude response is to the left or the right of the one with the second greatest amplitude;
• means for storing for each cell for each origin position of emission left and right tables, each table including a representation of the location of each origin position of emission, weighting fctor representing the uncertainty of the origin position, and normalized amplitude response;
• switching means, responsive to the cell with the greatest amplitude being to the right of the cell with the second greatest amplitude, for enabling the right table for all cells to the left of the cell with the greatest amplitude and enabling left tables for the remaining cells;
• and responsive to the cell with the greatest amplitude being to the left of the cell with the second greatest amplitude, for enabling the left table for all cells to the right of the cell with the greatest amplitude and enabling right tables for the remaining cells;
• means for summing independently from each enabled table of each cell the weighting factor and the representation of the location of the origin positions of emission;
• and
• means, responsive to said means for summing, for dividing said representation of the location of the origin position sum by said weighting factor sum in at least one group to establish the position of impingement of the radiant emission on the detector.

A digital system for determining in each dimension the position of impingement of a radiant emission on a multicell two-dimensional array detector including a position determining unit associated with each dimension, each unit comprising:

• means for sampling the output of each cell to detect its output in response to a radiant emission impinging on an undefined position on the detector;
• means for converting the analog output of each cell to a digital output;
• means for normalizing the digital output of each cell;
• means for comparing the normalized digital output of each cell to determine the two cells having the greatest amplitude response;
• means for determining whether the cell with the greatest amplitude response is to the left or the right of the one with the second greatest amplitude;
• means for storing for each cell for each origin position of emission left and right tables, each table including a representation of the location of each origin position of emission, weighting factor representing the uncertainty of the origin position, and normalized amplitude response;
• switching means, responsive to the cell with the greatest amplitude being to the right of the cell with the second greatest amplitude, for enabling the right table for all cells to the left of the cell with the greatest amplitude and enabling left tables for the remaining cells;
• and responsive to the cell with the greatest amplitude being to the left of the cell with the second greatest amplitude, for enabling the left table for all cells to the right of the cell with the greatest amplitude and enabling right tables for the remaining cells;
• means for summing independently from each enabled table of each cell the weighting factor and the representation of the location of the origin positions of emission;
• means, responsive to said means for summing, for dividing said representation of the location of the origin position sum by said weighting factor sum in at least one group to establish the position of impingement of the radiant emission on the detector;
• and
• determining means for providing for each determined impingement position in each dimension a corresponding actual position in each dimension.