Microelectromechanical system optical sensor providing bit image data of a viewed image
AssigneeThe Aerospace Corporation
InventorJon V. Osborn
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Abstract
An integrated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sun sensor includes a filter, microlens, aperture and a folded MEMS optical element combined with an active pixel sensor array to form an integrated spacecraft sun sensor in an integrated sealed package, offering lower power, smaller size and higher performance for use on spinning spacecraft useful in attitude determinations. Multiple like sun sensors can be disposed for increasing the reliability, spatial coverage or spatial resolution for a specific performance requirement.
Claims17
A sensor for generating a bit image of a viewed image received through a field of view, the sensor comprising,
- a sealed package,
- a viewing port within the package for receiving the viewed image of the field of view,
- a sensor housing defining a housing cavity and providing a reflective surface,
- a microlens disposed in the housing for focusing the viewed image into a focused image that illuminates the reflective surface for providing a reflective image,
- an aperture for communicating the focused image into the housing cavity and onto the reflective surface, and
- a readout chip comprising a pixel array of photodiodes for receiving the reflective image and providing the bit image as a readout channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.