78 results about "Time delay and integration" patented technology

A two-dimensional focal plane array (FPA) is divided into sub-arrays of rows and columns of pixels, each sub-array being responsive to light energy from a target object which has been separated by a spectral filter or other spectrum dividing element into a predetermined number of spectral bands. There is preferably one sub-array on the FPA for each predetermined spectral band. Each sub-array has its own read out channel to allow parallel and simultaneous readout of all sub-arrays of the array. The scene is scanned onto the array for simultaneous imaging of the terrain in many spectral bands. Time Delay and Integrate (TDI) techniques are used as a clocking mechanism within the sub-arrays to increase the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the detected image. Additionally, the TDI length (i.e., number of rows of integration during the exposure) within each sub-array is adjustable to optimize and normalize the response of the photosensitive substrate to each spectral band. The array provides for parallel and simultaneous readout of each sub-array to increase the collection rate of the spectral imagery. All of these features serve to provide a substantial improvement in the area coverage of a hyperspectral imaging system while at the same time increasing the SNR of the detected spectral image.

This invention uses a real-time holographic medium to record the amplitude and phase information collected from a moving platform at the aperture plane of a side-looking optical sensor over the collection time. A back-scan mirror is used to compensate platform motion during the synthetic aperture integration time. Phase errors caused by a nonlinear platform motion are compensated by controlling the phase offset between the illumination beam and the reference beam used to write the hologram based on inertial measurements of the flight path and the sensor line-of-sight pointing angles. In the illustrative embodiment, a synthetic aperture ladar (SAL) imaging system is mounted on a mobile platform. The system is adapted to receive a beam of electromagnetic energy; record the intensity and phase pattern carried by the beam; and store the pattern to compensate for motion of the platform relative to an external reference. In the illustrative embodiment, the image is stored as a holographic image. The system includes a back-scan mirror, which compensates the stored holographic pattern for motion of the platform. The medium and back-scan mirror may be replaced with a digital camera and one-dimensional and two-dimensional arrays may be used. In a specific embodiment, a two-dimensional array is used with a time delay and integration (TDI) scheme, which compensates for motion of the platform in the storage of the optical signals. In an alternative embodiment, a back-scanning mirror is used to compensate for motion of the platform. Consequently, the interference pattern between a relayed image of the aperture plane and a reference beam is continuously stored. In this embodiment, the instantaneous location of the received beam on the recording medium is controlled to compensate for motion of the platform.

A two-dimensional focal plane array (FPA) is divided into sub-arrays of rows and columns of pixels, each sub-array being responsive to light energy from a target object which has been separated by a spectral filter or other spectrum dividing element into a predetermined number of spectral bands. There is preferably one sub-array on the FPA for each predetermined spectral band. Each sub-array has its own read out channel to allow parallel and simultaneous readout of all sub-arrays of the array. The scene is scanned onto the array for simultaneous imaging of the terrain in many spectral bands. Time Delay and Integrate (TDI) techniques are used as a clocking mechanism within the sub-arrays to increase the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the detected image. Additionally, the TDI length (i.e., number of rows of integration during the exposure) within each sub-array is adjustable to optimize and normalize the response of the photosensitive substrate to each spectral band. The array provides for parallel and simultaneous readout of each sub-array to increase the collection rate of the spectral imagery. All of these features serve to provide a substantial improvement in the area coverage of a hyperspectral imaging system while at the same time increasing the SNR of the detected spectral image.

An apparatus and method for acquiring image data from a scanned, multi-bank time-delay and integrate (TDI) focal plane array (FPA) detector. Specifically a method and apparatus for warping and combining sequentially-acquired image data of a scene portion from multiple TDI detector banks into a single image having improved image quality, thereby providing improved FPA sensitivity. Also, a method and apparatus for enabling sensitivity and areal rate trade-offs in a multi-bank, scanning TDI FPA based on the number of TDI banks being used for sequential imaging of the same scene portion.

A semiconductor wafer inspection system and method is provided which uses a multiple element arrangement, such as an offset fly lens array. The preferred embodiment uses a laser to transmit light energy toward a beam expander, which expands the light energy to create an illumination field. An offset fly lens array converts light energy from the illumination field into an offset pattern of illumination spots. A lensing arrangement, including a first lens, a transmitter / reflector, an objective, and a Mag tube imparts light energy onto the specimen and passes the light energy toward a pinhole mask. The pinhole mask is mechanically aligned with the offset fly lens array. Light energy passing through each pinhole in the pinhole mask is directed toward a relay lens, which guides light energy onto a sensor. The offset fly lens array corresponds to the pinhole mask. The offset pattern of the offset fly lens array is chosen such that spots produced can be recombined into a continuous image, and the system utilizes a time delay and integration charge coupled device for rapid sensing along with an autofocus system that measures and cancels topological features of the specimen.

The invention discloses a method for realizing area array CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor bilateral scanning clear imaging, and relates to the field of photoelectric detection imaging. The problems of complex hardware circuit and high cost due to the fact that the traditional TDICCD (time delay and integration charge coupled device) adopts a mode of increasing a symmetric integral circuit to realize bidirectional scanning imaging during bidirectional scanning imaging can be solved. The CMOS sensor is used for outputting an area array image; two off-chip memories are used for storing digital images output by the CMOS sensor; the digital image time delay integral is realized according to different TDI (time delayed and integration) control time sequences in different scanning directions; a scanning direction judgment device is used for judging the movement direction of a target scenery relative to the current sensor; according to forward scanning or reverse scanning, a targeted TDI algorithm realization mode is selected; a matched numeric field TDI algorithm can be automatically selected by numeric field bidirectional scanning TDI according to the input movement direction; and two memories are controlled to finish different read-write operations during forward scanning and reverse scanning. The method disclosed by the invention is suitable for the application of over-the-ground remote sensing.

The invention relates to a D-TDI (digital time-delay and integration) controller for a color plane array CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor) sensor. A serial-parallel conversion module of the controller converts serial image data output by the color planar array CMOS sensor into parallel image data streams; a spectral-range separation module carries out separation on image data in odd-numbered rows and image data in even-numbered rows in parallel image data; a RG stream accumulator and a GB stream accumulator respectively carry out time delay and accumulative integration on the image data in the odd-numbered rows and the image data in the even-numbered rows, and a D-TDI integration result is output; and a spectral-range synthesis module carries out channel multiplexing on the D-TDI integration result at RG and GB spectral ranges so as to generate a Bayer-type color image. According to the invention, the odd-numbered rows and even-numbered rows of a CMOS image are processed respectively through two parallel channels so as to complete the D-TDI (digital time-delay and integration) of a RG channel and a GB channel, so that any even-numbered-level time delay and integration of a color CMOS chip can be realized.

The invention discloses a light source strobe control method in time delayed and integration (TDI) charge couple device (CCD) uniform imaging under the condition of non-uniform motion, and belongs to the field of control. Light source strobe control equipment comprises a test object which moves non-uniformly and a TDI CCD camera. The light source strobe control method includes the steps: a light-emitting diode (LED) light source in conjunction with TDI CCD exposure is disposed, a strobe frequency converter for converting moving speed signals into strobe frequency signals is disposed, and the strobe frequency is used for controlling starting and closing frequency of the LED light source and controlling synchronous exposure of the TDI CCD. Moving speed of the test object is detected, synchronous control of the strobe cycle of the light source is realized according to the moving speed of the test object, total exposure time of the TDI CCD camera in the sweeping cycle is regulated, and thus image of uniform gray gradation of the test object which moves non-uniformly is output.

The invention discloses a high-resolution imaging system and method based on a CMOS-TDI (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Time Delay and Integration) mode, which mainly solves the problems in the prior art, such as low image obtaining efficiency and poor output image signal-to-noise ratio. The high-resolution imaging system comprises a signal control generator module, a movement route control cableway module, an area array CMOS plane module, a random exposure control module and an image reconstruction processor module. The high-resolution imaging method comprises the following steps of: 1, carrying out an initial operation; 2, carrying out push broom on s pixels by a prober; 3, generating a binary random sequence; 4, carrying out integral exposure by the prober; 5, carrying out internal transfer on photo-production charge pixels; 6, carrying out interline transfer on charges in a mask area; 7, judging whether a field scanning is completed or not; 8, outputting an observing value image; 9, optimizing and solving an L1-norm; and 10, obtaining a high-resolution image. The high-resolution imaging system and method provided by the invention have the advantages of simple circuit structure, low calculation complexity, high image obtaining efficiency and high output image signal-to-noise ratio.

A device and method for continuous vertical clocking a charge-coupled device image sensor operating in a time delay and integration and binning mode of operation is disclosed. The method includes providing a charge-coupled device image sensor with a continuous charge transfer signal to a vertical charge-coupled device register for shifting charge continuously to more closely approximate the speed of movement of the target object of capture by the image sensor in order to eliminate artifacts in the TDI imaging direction. The control module of the CCD image sensor provides the continuous charge transfer signal to the vertical charge-coupled device register.

The invention relates to a system for detecting matching error of TDICCD (Time Delay and Integration Charge Coupled Device) focal plane different-speed imaging. A dynamic target simulation device of the system is arranged in front of a parallel collimator; a zoom focusing and imaging system is arranged between the parallel collimator and a TDICCD focal plane and is composed of a group of zooming and imaging units; a control system adjusts focal distance and axial position of each zooming and imaging unit of the zoom focusing and imaging system, thus each imaging unit on the TDICCD focal plane produces target images at different speeds, moving speeds of the target images on each imaging unit on the TDICCD focal plane are calculated according to the focal distance of each zooming and imaging unit, a target rotating speed and the focal distance of the parallel collimator; and an image quick-look system analyzes dynamic target images, and a dynamic transfer function and a dynamic resolution of each imaging unit of the TDICCD focal plane are obtained by calculation. The system provided by the invention can be applied to detection on large-scale TDICCD focal plane imaging quality, image motion compensation accuracy and array different-speed image motion compensation matching accuracy.

The invention relates to a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, and aims to provide a method for improving time delay integration CMOS image sensor dynamic range, which can synchronously meet image requirements under conditions of low light intensity and high light intensity, and can achieve the purpose of sensor dynamic range improvement. The invention adopts a technical scheme that the wide dynamic range time delay integration CMOS image sensor is composed of an image array, an analog signal read-out circuit, an analog conversion circuit and a time sequence control circuit, and is characterized in that a pixel array is provided with various types of pixel units, the same row of pixels are provided with pixel units with the same type of structure, namely differenttypes of pixel units can not be in the same row. The invention is mainly applicable to the design and the manufacture of a semiconductor image sensor.

The invention provides an image restoration method based on an aerial TDI-CCD (Time Delay and Integration-Charge Coupled Device) imaging error vibration model. In the method, vibration frequencies are classified into low-frequency vibration and high-frequency vibration without regard to high-frequency vibration; the low-frequency vibration is taken as random vibration, and a low-frequency vibration model is established; the low-frequency vibration is decomposed into displacements in three direction of X, Y and Z on the basis of the low-frequency vibration model, and displacement expressions in the directions X, Y and Z are established; the high-frequency vibration is taken as the simple harmonic vibration of a set frequency in a set direction, and a high-frequency vibration model is established; and imaging errors generated by displacement changes caused by the low-frequency vibration in each direction are respectively corrected by adopting different image restoration algorithms in each direction when software image restoration is carried out. The method can more reasonably simulate the actual situation of aerial imaging, and the models established by the invention can improve the precision of the TDI-CCD image restoration.

The invention relates to a compressive-sensing-based on-satellite real-time image synthesis compression system, which comprises n compressive-sensing measurement modules and a measurement data synthesis module, wherein each compressive-sensing measurement module carries out random measurement on original row image data X output by a corresponding channel of a multichannel TDICCD (Time Delay and Integration Charge Coupled Device) by using a Bernoulli random measurement matrix to obtain compressed measurement data Y; and the measurement data synthesis module synthesizing measurement data Y of all channels into an entire row of compressed image measurement data. According to the invention, the data of each channel of the multichannel TDICCD is compressively sensed on satellite to obtain compressed data to be synthesized and transmitted to the ground, and a complex compressive sensing restructing algorithm is carried out on ground. A complex data recovery algorithm on ground is used to exchange a simple and reliable on-satellite image compression method, so that the work frequency of on-satellite circuits is reduced, and the stability of an on-satellite image integration circuit is improved, and meanwhile, on-satellite hardware resources are saved.

An improved complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor for time delay and integration imaging is provided that utilizes rolling shutter pixels. Columns of rolling shutter pixels in the CMOS image array are provided with a space between adjacent pixels to provide synchronization with movement of the subject in the along track direction. Preferably, the physical offset between the pixels is 1 / Nth of a pixel pitch for a column having N rows.

The invention relates to the field of photodetection imaging, and particularly to a multispectral TDI (Time Delayed and Integration) imaging method and device. According to the method and device, imaging parameters are separately set for full-color (P) and blue (B1), green (B2), red (B3) and near-infrared (B4) spectrum segments in an area array CMOS image sensor architecture in a digital domain TDI mode, area array CMOS image sensors are used to realize multi-spectrum-segment digital TDI push-broom imaging in a push-broom work mode, a full-color waveband image and a multi-waveband image in thearea array CMOS image sensors are fused, a color image is obtained by synthesis, the full-color remote sensing image and the multi-waveband image are fused to obtain the image which has high resolution of the full-color image and also has color information of the multi-waveband images, and imaging accuracy is high.

A charge coupled device imager, which can operate in time delay and integration mode, can be adapted to include variable columns having one or more blocking gates or other barriers that can be independently controlled and used to divide a used portion from an unused portion. The blocking gates may require less power to electrically insulate used from the unused sections. In this regard, an imager's charge handling capacity and dynamic range can be improved, while lowering CCD operating power requirements. Blooming drains can also be included to enhance the functionality of the imager and enable bidirectional imaging capability.

A time delay integration (TDI) sensor (22) comprises a sequence of cells (42, 44, 42, 44) numbered 1 to N. The TDI sensor is configured for transferring a charge from the cell numbered 1 via the cells numbered 2 to N-1 to the cell numbered N. Each cell (42; 44) in the sequence of cells is either sensitive or insensitive in the sense that when the TDI sensor (22) is evenly illuminated by light (46) incident on any of the insensitive cells (44) is at most 90% of the intensity of the light (46) incident on any of the sensitive cells (42). The sequence of cells (42, 44, 42, 44) comprises, in this order: a first sensitive cell (42), at least one insensitive cell (44), and a second sensitive cell (42). An imaging system comprising a TDI sensor and a method of imaging an object are also disclosed.

The invention discloses an optical system focal distance detection method and belongs to the technical field of optics. The method includes the following steps that moire fringes are formed after light of a light source penetrates through a target board and change divergent light of the target light to parallel light after passing through a collimator, and after the parallel light passes through a shot under a test, a target is image-formed on a focal plane of the shot under the test; a time delay and integration charge coupled device (TDICCD) is configurated through a computer, driving frequency fT of a line transfer pulse signal of the TDICCD is confirmed, from image motion linear speed people can know that the driving frequency fT of the line transfer pulse signal has a proportional relation to the image motion linear speed, when the computer controls the TDICCD to start rotation from an initial position, the line transfer pulse signal is sent, images are started to be recorded, when the TDICCD reaches to an ending position, the images are stopped being recorded, and the line transfer pulse signal is stopped being sent. Under the speed, a precise rotating platform is driven to take pictures for 4-5 times, and focal distance of the shot under the test is calculated. The optical system focal distance detection method is high in detection accuracy and widely applied to detection on focal distance of optical system of optical instrument equipment.

A device and method for continuous vertical clocking a charge-coupled device image sensor operating in a time delay and integration and binning mode of operation is disclosed. The method includes providing a charge-coupled device image sensor with a continuous charge transfer signal to a vertical charge-coupled device register for shifting charge continuously to more closely approximate the speed of movement of the target object of capture by the image sensor in order to eliminate artifacts in the TDI imaging direction. The control module of the CCD image sensor provides the continuous charge transfer signal to the vertical charge-coupled device register.

A transmission X-ray analyzer for detecting a transmission X-ray image of a sample that moves relatively in a predetermined scanning direction includes; a time delay and integration (TDI) sensor including a plurality of stages of line sensors including the plurality of two-dimensionally arranged image pickup devices arranged in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined scanning direction, being configured to transfer charge accumulated in one line sensor to an adjacent subsequent line sensor; a shield unit for shielding a part of the image of light entering the TDI sensor by moving back and forth in the predetermined scanning direction, the shield unit being disposed between the TDI sensor and the sample; and a shield unit position control unit for controlling a position of the shield unit so as to shield a predetermined number of stages of line sensors among the plurality of stages of line sensors.

A method and system for synchronizing time delay and integration cameras by measuring high frequency components of the TDI camera output and varying either charge velocity within the camera or image velocity, in order to maintain the maximum point of the high frequency components.

This invention uses a real-time holographic medium to record the amplitude and phase information collected from a moving platform at the aperture plane of a side-looking optical sensor over the collection time. A back-scan mirror is used to compensate platform motion during the synthetic aperture integration time. Phase errors caused by a nonlinear platform motion are compensated by controlling the phase offset between the illumination beam and the reference beam used to write the hologram based on inertial measurements of the flight path and the sensor line-of-sight pointing angles. In the illustrative embodiment, a synthetic aperture ladar (SAL) imaging system is mounted on a mobile platform. The system is adapted to receive a beam of electromagnetic energy; record the intensity and phase pattern carried by the beam; and store the pattern to compensate for motion of the platform relative to an external reference. In the illustrative embodiment, the image is stored as a holographic image. The system includes a back-scan mirror, which compensates the stored holographic pattern for motion of the platform. The medium and back-scan mirror may be replaced with a digital camera and one-dimensional and two-dimensional arrays may be used. In a specific embodiment, a two-dimensional array is used with a time delay and integration (TDI) scheme, which compensates for motion of the platform in the storage of the optical signals. In an alternative embodiment, a back-scanning mirror is used to compensate for motion of the platform. Consequently, the interference pattern between a relayed image of the aperture plane and a reference beam is continuously stored. In this embodiment, the instantaneous location of the received beam on the recording medium is controlled to compensate for motion of the platform.

A method for operating a focal plane array in a Time Delay Integration (TDI) mode, the method including: shifting a number of rows during TDI integration, wherein the number of rows shifted is less than a total number of rows of the focal plane array; and reading out a number of rows equal to the total number of rows of the focal plane array minus the number of rows shifted, leaving behind the partially-integrated rows.

The invention discloses a coordinate back calculation method for a TDICCD (time delay and integration charge coupled devices) linear array push-sweep sensor. The method comprises the following steps of: 1, according to a geometric model M, carrying out back calculation on an object space coordinate Pi (Bi, Li and H0) to obtain a virtual image coordinate (sample i and vline i); 2, computing a raw image line number line i; 3, computing an object space coordinate P' (B' and L') according to an object space elevation H0 in a raw image coordinate p (sample i and vline i) and an object space coordinate true-value P0; and 4, comparing the object space coordinate P' (B' and L') computed in the step 3 with the object space coordinate true-value P0 (B0 and L0) to judge whether iteration end conditions are met or not, and if so, outputting the raw image coordinate p (sample i and line i), otherwise, enabling i to be equal to i+1, computing the object space coordinate Pi which is equal to P0*2-P', and returning to continue iteration.

A semiconductor wafer inspection system and method is provided which uses a multiple element arrangement, such as an offset fly lens array. The preferred embodiment uses a laser to transmit light energy toward a beam expander, which expands the light energy to create an illumination field. An offset fly lens array converts light energy from the illumination field into an offset pattern of illumination spots. A lensing arrangement, including a first lens, a transmitter / reflector, an objective, and a Mag tube imparts light energy onto the specimen and passes the light energy toward a pinhole mask. The pinhole mask is mechanically aligned with the offset fly lens array. Light energy passing through each pinhole in the pinhole mask is directed toward a relay lens, which guides light energy onto a sensor. The offset fly lens array corresponds to the pinhole mask. The offset pattern of the offset fly lens array is chosen such that spots produced can be recombined into a continuous image, and the system utilizes a time delay and integration charge coupled device for rapid sensing along with an autofocus system that measures and cancels topological features of the specimen.

Three dimensional reconstruction of an object of interest moving at a constant velocity. The object of interest is centered. The object of interest is imaged with optical point sources located at multiple projection angles around the object of interest, in cooperation with opposing time delay and integration (TDI) image sensors located at a distance from the objects of interest such that there is no focal plane within the objects of interest during imaging. Each of the TDI sensors has a line transfer rate synchronized to the constant velocity of the objects of interest.

An imaging sensor is disclosed, comprising: a set of at least two charge-coupled device, CCD, sub-arrays, wherein each sub-array comprises pixels arranged in columns and rows, and each pixel being arranged to accumulate an electric charge proportional to an intensity of light incident on the pixel; a time delay and integration, TDI, clocking circuitry for controlling and timing transfer of accumulated electric charges between rows of pixels in a column direction in order to integrate the accumulated electric charges in each column of pixels; wherein each CCD sub-array further comprises a readout row for converting the integrated electric charge of each column of pixels into voltage or current, wherein the readout row comprises transistors enabling readout of the signal by the readout block; and a readout block which is arranged to receive input from selected readout rows and convert the input into digital domain or convert the input to a combined representation of pixel values based on the set of CCD sub-arrays.

The invention provides a bi-directional scanning imaging method based on a TDI-CCD (time delay integration-charge coupled device) in fluorescent optical micro-imaging. The imaging method includes the steps: S1 setting triggering window information; S2 applying first electric level control signals to the TDI-CCD, and enabling the TDI-CCD to scan forwards; S3 controlling a three-dimensional precise movement control platform to move forwards along an X-axis according to the triggering window information, and giving triggering signals to control the TDI-CCD to realize exposure imaging along the forward scanning direction according to the moving position of the three-dimensional precise movement control platform; S4 applying second electric level control signals to the TDI-CCD, and enabling the TDI-CCD to scan backwards; S5 controlling the three-dimensional precise movement control platform to move backwards along the X-axis according to the triggering window information, and giving triggering signals to control the TDI-CCD to realize exposure imaging along the backward scanning direction according to the moving position of the three-dimensional precise movement control platform. The direction of the first electric level control signals is contrary to that of the second electric level control signals. The method can effectively detect fluorescent weak signals, integral imaging can be accelerated, and whole fluorescent optical imaging period is shortened.