Abstract: A CMOS photodetector pixel formed of a substrate, an epitaxial layer above the substrate including a first region having the same polarity but a lower impurity concentration as that of the substrate, and a gate arrangement including a first gate that forms a charge accumulation region in the epitaxial layer when the gate is energized, wherein the charge accumulation region extends deeper toward the substrate than in conventional constructions. The epitaxial layer includes a shielding structure for absorbing electrons generated therein by photons impinging on the pixel, except electrons generated close to the charge accumulation region. The shielding structure may have opposite polarity from that of the substrate, including a first portion under the first gate, and a second portion extending upward from the first portion at the margin of the pixel. Alternatively, the shielding structure may have the same polarity as the substrate, but a lower impurity concentration.

Abstract: A camera comprising: a photosurface comprising light sensitive pixels that generate signals responsive to light incident thereon and optics that focus an image of a scene onto the photosurface; and an illumination system for illuminating the scene, the illumination system comprising: an illuminator having a plurality of substantially contiguous, independently controllable light providing regions; optics that focuses an image or the illuminator on the scene so that light from the illuminator illuminates substantially all of and substantially only the field of view of the camera; and a controller that controls light provided by each light providing region.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for imaging tissue by upstream illumination and downstream dual filtering of the exiting light for separation of ballistic photons rays from stray rays. Dual filtering includes spatial filtering via a pinhole and spatial filtering operated by a fast gate. A processor synchronizes flashes of illumination with the fast gate to command opening for passage of the ballistic photons rays and closure to exclude the stray rays. An image detector downstream of the fast gate collects the ballistic photons rays for processing by the processor and display on a monitor as a shadowgram. Illumination flashes have one or more wavelengths and the image detector is adapted to match the selected wavelengths of the illuminating flashes.

Abstract: A method for encoding information that is encoded in spatial variations of the intensity of light characterized by a first wavelength in light characterized by a second wavelength, the method comprising: transmitting the first wavelength light through a photo-conducting material in which electron-hole pairs are generated by absorbing photons from the first wavelength light to generate a first density distribution of electrons homologous with the spatial variations in intensity of the first wavelength light; trapping electrons from the first electron density distributions in a trapping region to generate an electric field homologous with the density distribution in a material that modulates a characteristic of light that passes therethrough responsive to an electric field therein; transmitting a pulse of light having sufficient energy to generate electron-hole pairs in the photo-conducting material through the modulating material and thereafter through the photo-conducting layer to generate a second additional

Abstract: An optical imaging system comprising: a taking lens system that collects light from a scene being imaged with the optical imaging system; a 3D camera comprising at least one photosurface that receives light from the taking lens system simultaneously from all points in the scene and provides data for generating a depth map of the scene responsive to the light; and an imaging camera comprising at least one photosurface that receives light from the taking lens system and provides a picture of the scene responsive to the light.

Abstract: A 3D camera for determining distances to regions in a scene comprising: a photosurface having a plurality of pixels each of which comprises a circuit having a light sensitive element that provides a current responsive to light incident thereon, wherein the circuit comprises, at least one amplifier inside the pixel, having an input and an output; at least one feedback capacitor separate from the light sensitive element and connected between the input and output of each of the at least one amplifier; at least one controllable connection through which current flows from the light sensitive element into the input of the at least one amplifier; a light source; and, a controller that, controls the light source to illuminate the scene with light, opens and closes the at least one controllable connection to gate or modulate current from the light sensitive element of a pixel in the photosurface responsive to the time dependence of the gating or modulation of the light, controls the at least one controllable connectio

Abstract: A semiconductor surface is provided comprising a plurality of light sensitive pixels wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels comprises an electronic circuit formed on or in the semiconductor surface, the circuit comprising: a photosensor that generates a signal responsive to light incident thereon at an output thereof; and circuitry that provides a signal responsive to a time lapse between a first time responsive to said signal and a reference time. There is also provided a 3D camera incorporating the semiconductor surface.

Abstract: A method for encoding information that is encoded in spatial variations of the intensity of light (24) of a first wave-length into light of a second wavelength, the method comprising: generating a first density distribution of electrons homologous with the spatial variations in intensity of the first wavelength light; generating a second additional electron density homologous with the first electron density distribution; trapping electrons from the first and second electron density distributions in a trapping region (34) to generate an electric field homologous with the density distributions in a material (36) that modulates a characteristic of light (22) that passes therethrough responsive to an electric field (46) therein; and transmitting the second wavelength light (22) through the modulating material (36) thereby modulating the second wavelength light in response to the electric field and encoding it with the information.

Abstract: Provided is an optical modulator for modulating light comprising: a superlattice structure having a plurality of interleaved narrow and wide bandgap semiconductor layers, wherein wave functions of energy states of electrons and holes in different narrow bandgap layers are coupled; and a power supply that applies voltage to the superlattice structure between a first non-zero voltage and a second non-zero voltage to modulate the light.

Abstract: An illumination system (20, 72, 110, 142) for illuminating a scene comprising: an illuminator (24, 74, 116) having a plurality of substantially contiguous independently controllable light (26, 76) providing regions each of which provides light that illuminates a different region of the scene; optics (30) that directs light from the illuminator to the scene; a range finder (22, 64, 112) that determines distances to regions of the scene; and a controller (28, 29, 118) that controls the plurality of light providing regions to provide light for illuminating the scene responsive to distances determined by the range finder (22, 64, 112).

Abstract: A method of producing an optoelectronic circuit comprising: forming a first optoelectronic element of the circuit on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate; forming a second optoelectronic element of the circuit on a second surface of the semiconductor substrate; and wherein the first and second optoelectronic elements communicate via current transmitted through the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for 3D imaging of an object comprising a scanning light beam encoded with position data corresponding to the spatial position of the scanning light beam, and an imaging system that images localized surface areas of the object illuminated by the scanning light beam, which imaging system records the position data coded into the scanning beam so that three spatial coordinates of the localized surface areas imaged are determinable using the recorded position data.

Abstract: A camera with through-the-lens lighting, comprising: a light source that produces incoherent light; a photosensitive surface; focusing optics, having an optical axis, that forms an image of a scene, within a field of view, on the photosensitive surface, wherein the light is boresighted with the optical axis and directed toward the scene, illuminating substantially only the field of view of the camera.

Abstract: A method of producing an optoelectronic circuit comprising: forming a first optoelectronic element of the circuit on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate; forming a second optoelectronic element of the circuit on a second surface of the semiconductor substrate; and wherein the first and second optoelectronic elements communicate via current transmitted through the substrate.

Abstract: A solid-state optoelectronic shutter having an input and an output, comprising a semiconductor material, having formed therein or thereon: a planar photodiode (24), having a planar surface, and optically communicating with the input; a planar LED layer (26), having a planar surface substantially parallel to the planar photodiode, and optionally communicating with the output; and a planar gate layer (28), intermediate the planar photodiode and the planar LED.

Abstract: A camera is provided with through the lens lighting. An light source provides boresighted illumination by using a beamsplitter or mirror to illuminate a field of view which is congruent with the field of view of the image sensor of the camera. The light source can be an extended light source having a dimensions about equal to the image sensor. The surface of the image sensor, the light source or the beam splitter can be modulated such that light directly from the light source does not impinge the sensor.

Abstract: An optical image shutter is provided having a multiplicity of thin layers of alternating narrow and wide gap semiconductor material stacked to form an MQW structure and electrodes located on at least two semiconductor surfaces of the image shutter, wherein the electrodes are configured so that a voltage difference applied between them produces an electric field that is temporally and spatially substantially uniform in the volume of the MQW structure and wherein the aperture of the image shutter is greater than 4 square mm.

Abstract: An optoelectronic shutter for radiation, comprising an input plate and an output plate, comprising material substantially transparent to the radiation, each plate having an outer and an inner surface, wherein a recess is formed in the inner surface of at least one of the plates, and wherein respective non-recessed portions of the inner surfaces of the plates are bonded together, and the recess defines a vacuum chamber enclosed by the two plates; a photocathode fixed to the inner surface of the input plate, adjacent the chamber, and a photo-emissive anode, fixed to the inner surface of the output plate, adjacent the chamber and opposite the photocathode.

Abstract: Apparatus for creating an image indicating distances to points in objects in a scene, comprising:a modulated source of radiation, having a first modulation function, which directs radiation toward a scene such that a portion of the modulated radiation is reflected from the points and reaches the apparatus;an array detector which detects radiation from the scene, modulated by a second modulation function, each element of the array detector being associated with a point in the scene, each element of the array detector generating a signal, responsive to a part of the reflected radiation reaching the apparatus, the magnitude of particular element's signal being dependent on the distance of a point in the scene, associated with that element's signal; anda processor which forms an image, having an intensity value distribution indicative of the distance of each of the points in the scene from the apparatus, based on the magnitude of the signal associated with the point;wherein the first and second modulation functio

Abstract: Apparatus for creating an image indicating distances to objects in a scene. The invention is comprised of a radiation source and modulator, telecentric optics for receiving and collimating the radiation reflected from the scene, a detector and a processor. The detector receives the collimated, reflected radiation and sends a signal to the processor. The processor forms an image having an intensity value distribution indicative of the distance of objects form the apparatus.