Methods and apparatus for true high dynamic range (THDR) time-delay-and-integrate (TDI) imaging

A time-delay-and-integrate (TDI) image sensor comprising:

• a detector array to image a scene;
• a counter array, operably coupled to the detector array, to generate images of the scene during a plurality of integration periods, the counter array including a first m-bit counter that is operably coupled to a first detector element in the detector array and configured to generate a first count representative of a number of detections by the first detector element during a first integration period;
• a processor, operably coupled to the counter array, to estimate a total number of detections by a plurality of detector elements in the detector array during the plurality of integration periods based at least in part on two images of the scene, and
• a memory, operably coupled to the counter array and the processor, to receive the first count from the first m-bit counter at the end of the first integration period, the memory being further configured to receive a corresponding count from another m-bit counter in the counter array at the end of another integration period in the plurality of integration periods, wherein m is a positive integer.

A time-delay-and-integrate (TDI) image sensor comprising:

• a detector array to image a scene;
• a counter array, operably coupled to the detector array, to generate images of the scene during a plurality of integration periods;
• and
• a processor, operably coupled to the counter array, to estimate a total number of detections by a plurality of detector elements in the detector array during the plurality of integration periods based at least in part on two images of the scene,
• wherein the counter array includes a first m-bit counter that is operably coupled to a first detector element in the detector array and configured to generate a first count representative of a number of detections by the first detector element during a first integration period, and
• wherein the first m-bit counter is configured to shift counts to an adjacent m-bit counter in the counter array and the adjacent m-bit counter is configured to increment the counts during another integration period of the plurality of integration periods, and m is a positive integer.

A time-delay-and-integrate (TDI) image sensor comprising:

• a detector array to image a scene;
• a counter array, operably coupled to the detector array, to generate images of the scene during a plurality of integration periods, the counter array including a first m-bit counter that is operably coupled to a first detector element in the detector array and configured to generate a first count representative of a number of detections by the first detector element during a first integration period;
• a processor, operably coupled to the counter array, to estimate a total number of detections by a plurality of detector elements in the detector array during the plurality of integration periods based at least in part on two images of the scene;
• and
• a memory, operably coupled to the counter array and the processor, to receive the first count from the first m-bit counter at the end of the first integration period,
• wherein the memory is further configured to receive a corresponding count from another m-bit counter in the counter array at the end of the final integration period in the plurality of integration periods, and m is a positive integer.