Abstract: A method for image acquisition includes receiving, by an image acquisition computing device, a digitized LiDAR image frame and a thermal image frame of a region of interest from a read out integrated circuit of an image acquisition device coupled to the image acquisition computing device. The LiDAR image frame and the thermal image frame are processed to detect one or more objects of interest located in the region of interest. The detected one or more objects of interest are correlated between the LiDAR image frame and the thermal image frame. The detected one or more objects of interest are identified based on the correlation between the LiDAR image frame and the thermal image frame. An integrated LiDAR and thermal image acquisition device is also disclosed.

Abstract: Photosensitive semiconducting devices, such as bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) can be built up over a substrate that may include a read-out integrated circuit (ROIC). Semiconducting layers can be deposited over the substrate and bottom electrodes that are on or at the substrate's top surface. The bottom electrodes may be the input pads of the ROIC. A top electrode is deposited over the semiconducting layers. The semiconducting layers can form BJTs between the bottom electrodes and the top electrode. The top electrode and the bottom electrodes are the BJTs collectors and emitters. The semiconducting layers include a P-type quantum dot layer and a N-type metal oxide layer. The quantum dots act as light sensors for the ROIC because photons absorbed in a semiconducting layer can produce a BJT base current. The BJTs can be formed without requiring a vacuum or patterning of the top electrode.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for multi-aperture ranging are disclosed.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus has one or more lenses with a common optical axis and that define an image plane. A splitting optic is disposed to split the light along the optical axis to provide, at the image plane, at least a first copy of an image at a first magnification and a second copy of the image at a second magnification different from the first magnification.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for multi-aperture ranging are disclosed. An embodiment of a device includes a main lens, configured to receive an image from the field of view of the main lens, a multi-aperture optical component having optical elements optically coupled to the main lens and configured to create a multi-aperture image set that includes a plurality of subaperture images, wherein at least one point in the field of view is captured by at least two of the subaperture images, an array of sensing elements, a ROIC configured to receive the signals, to convert the signals to digital data, and to output the digital data, and an image processing system, responsive to the digital data that is output from the ROIC, which is configured to generate disparity values that correspond to at least one point in common between the at least two subaperture images.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for multi-aperture ranging are disclosed. An embodiment of a device includes a main lens, configured to receive an image from the field of view of the main lens, a multi-aperture optical component having optical elements optically coupled to the main lens and configured to create a multi-aperture image set that includes a plurality of subaperture images, wherein at least one point in the field of view is captured by at least two of the subaperture images, an array of sensing elements, a ROIC configured to receive the signals, to convert the signals to digital data, and to output the digital data, and an image processing system, responsive to the digital data that is output from the ROIC, which is configured to generate disparity values that correspond to at least one point in common between the at least two subaperture images.

Abstract: A method for image acquisition includes receiving, by an image acquisition computing device, a digitized LiDAR image frame and a thermal image frame of a region of interest from a read out integrated circuit of an image acquisition device coupled to the image acquisition computing device. The LiDAR image frame and the thermal image frame are processed to detect one or more objects of interest located in the region of interest. The detected one or more objects of interest are correlated between the LiDAR image frame and the thermal image frame. The detected one or more objects of interest are identified based on the correlation between the LiDAR image frame and the thermal image frame. An integrated LiDAR and thermal image acquisition device is also disclosed.

Abstract: An embodiment of a device is disclosed. The device includes a lens, operative in the infrared, configured to receive an image of a field of view of the lens, a microlens array, operative in the infrared, optically coupled to the lens and configured to create an array of light field images based on the image, a photodetector array comprising a plurality of non-silicon photodetectors, photosensitive in at least part of the thermal spectrum from 3 microns to 14 microns, the photodetector array being optically coupled to the microlens array and configured to generate output signals from the non-silicon photodetectors based on the array of light field images, and a read-out integrated circuit (ROIC) communicatively coupled to the photodetector array and configured to receive the signals from the photodetector array, convert them to digital signals and to output digital data.

Abstract: A trajectory detection device includes a lens configured to receive an image of a field of view. An array of microlenses is configured to create an array of light field images based on the image. A detector array includes a plurality of photon sensitive photodetectors. The detector array is configured to generate output signals from each photodetector based on the array of light field images. A controller is configured to integrate the output signals over an integration period. At least a portion of the output signals are modulated at a modulating frequency having a modulating frequency cycle time that is smaller than the integration period. A three-dimensional image of motion in the field of view is generated based on the integration of the modulated output signals.

Abstract: A trajectory detection device includes a lens configured to receive an image of a field of view. An array of microlenses is configured to create an array of light field images based on the image. A detector array includes a plurality of photon sensitive photodetectors. The detector array is configured to generate output signals from each photodetector based on the array of light field images. A controller is configured to integrate the output signals over an integration period. At least a portion of the output signals are modulated at a modulating frequency having a modulating frequency cycle time that is smaller than the integration period. A three-dimensional image of motion in the field of view is generated based on the integration of the modulated output signals.

Abstract: A photodiode architecture comprises first, second, and third independent photodiodes, and a shared electrode. The first, second, and third photodiodes are each connected to respective sources of bias voltage and to a common shared electrode, whereby the photodiode architecture comprises at least one of a shared anode and shared cathode photodiode architecture. The photodiode architecture selectively reverse biases the first, second, and third photodiodes so that, during operation, at least one of the first, second and third photodiodes is always operating in a photoconducting mode, to enable capture and storage of charge from any photodiode in the architecture operating in photoconducting mode. Advantageously, the first photodiode can be configured to respond to a first wavelength of light and at least one of the second and third photodiodes can be configured to be responsive to a respective second or third wavelength of light shorter than the first wavelength of light.

Abstract: An analog to digital converter includes an error integration circuit configured to receive an input charge from a detector and to integrate a difference between the input charge and one or more feedback charge pulses to create an error voltage. A quantizer is in operable communication with the error integration circuit and is responsive to the created error voltage. An accumulator having a mantissa component and a radix component is in operable communication with the quantizer. A charge feedback device in operable communication with the quantizer and the radix component of the accumulator. The charge feedback device is configured to generate the one or more feedback charge pulses proportional to the radix component of the accumulator and an output of the quantizer. Digital focal plane read out integrated circuits including the analog to digital converter are also disclosed.

Abstract: A correlated double sampled (CDS) pixel is provided. The CDS pixel comprises an image sensing device, an inverting amplifier, a capacitor, and first and second switches. The image sensing device generates charge based on image content. The inverting amplifier is in operable communication with the image sensing device. The capacitor is configured as a feedback to the inverting amplifier, wherein the first capacitor configured as a switching capacitor and configured to integrate an image signal received by the image sensing device. The first switch is in operable communication with the inverting amplifier and is configured to control sample timing of a correlated offset signal. The second switch is in operable communication with the image sensing device and is configured to control sample timing of the image signal.

Abstract: An analog to digital converter includes an error integration circuit configured to receive an input charge from a detector and to integrate a difference between the input charge and one or more feedback charge pulses to create an error voltage. A quantizer is in operable communication with the error integration circuit and is responsive to the created error voltage. An accumulator having a mantissa component and a radix component is in operable communication with the quantizer. A charge feedback device in operable communication with the quantizer and the radix component of the accumulator. The charge feedback device is configured to generate the one or more feedback charge pulses proportional to the radix component of the accumulator and an output of the quantizer. Digital focal plane read out integrated circuits including the analog to digital converter are also disclosed.

Abstract: A photodiode architecture comprises first, second, and third independent photodiodes, and a shared electrode. The first, second, and third photodiodes are each connected to respective sources of bias voltage and to a common shared electrode, whereby the photodiode architecture comprises at least one of a shared anode and shared cathode photodiode architecture. The photodiode architecture selectively reverse biases the first, second, and third photodiodes so that, during operation, at least one of the first, second and third photodiodes is always operating in a photoconducting mode, to enable capture and storage of charge from any photodiode in the architecture operating in photoconducting mode. Advantageously, the first photodiode can be configured to respond to a first wavelength of light and at least one of the second and third is photodiodes can be configured to be responsive to a respective second or third wavelength of light shorter than the first wavelength of light.

Abstract: A photodiode architecture comprises first, second, and third independent photodiodes, and a shared electrode. The first, second, and third photodiodes are each connected to respective sources of bias voltage and to a common shared electrode, whereby the photodiode architecture comprises at least one of a shared anode and shared cathode photodiode architecture. The photodiode architecture selectively reverse biases the first, second, and third photodiodes so that, during operation, at least one of the first, second and third photodiodes is always operating in a photoconducting mode, to enable capture and storage of charge from any photodiode in the architecture operating in photoconducting mode. Advantageously, the first photodiode can be configured to respond to a first wavelength of light and at least one of the second and third photodiodes can be configured to be responsive to a respective second or third wavelength of light shorter than the first wavelength of light.

Abstract: The invention provides an imager readout architecture utilizing analog-to-digital converters (ADC), the architecture comprising a band-limited sigma delta modulator (SDM) ADC; and a serpentine readout, which can be configured to allow the band-limited SDM to multiplex between multiple columns by avoiding discontinuities at the edges of a row. SDM ADC image reconstruction artifacts are minimized using a modified serpentine read out methodology, the methodology comprising using primary and redundant slices with the serpentine read out in opposite directions and averaging the slices. Advantageously, the invention can be used to develop a read out integrated circuit (ROIC) for strained layer superlattice imagers (SLS) using sigma delta modulator (SDM) based analog to digital converters (SDM ADC).

Abstract: An image comprising a plurality of pixels at a predetermined pixel pitch, is received, A plurality of image intensity signals, are received at readout circuitry responsive to an image intensity per pixel. A portion of the received image is divided into a plurality of fixed paxels, each paxel comprising a rectilinear collection of pixels, having a first length and first predetermined number of rows, and second width having second predetermined number of columns. The plurality of fixed paxels are provided to a respective plurality of configurable Analog to Digital Converters (ADCs) responsive to a respective plurality of paxels and configurable to generate respective ADC output signals that implement a tradeoff between Effective Number of Bits (ENoB) and power consumption while maintaining a substantially fixed spatial frequency. Some paxels corresponding to a first predetermined fixation point are digitized with higher ENoB than the other paxels. A foveated image is generated.

Abstract: The invention provides an imager readout architecture utilizing analog-to-digital converters (ADC), the architecture comprising a band-limited sigma delta modulator (SDM) ADC; and a serpentine readout which can be configured to allow the band-limited SDM to multiplex between multiple columns by avoiding discontinuities at the edges of a row. SDM ADC image reconstruction artifacts are minimized using a modified serpentine read out methodology, the methodology comprising using primary and redundant slices with the serpentine read out in opposite directions and averaging the slices. Advantageously, the invention can be used to develop a read out integrated circuit (ROIC) for strained layer superlattice imagers (SLS) using sigma delta modulator (SDM) based analog to digital converters (SDM ADC).

Abstract: A correlated double sampled (CDS) pixel is provided. The CDS pixel comprises an image sensing device, an inverting amplifier, a capacitor, and first and second switches. The image sensing device generates charge based on image content. The inverting amplifier is in operable communication with the image sensing device. The capacitor is configured as a feedback to the inverting amplifier, wherein the first capacitor configured as a switching capacitor and configured to integrate an image signal received by the image sensing device. The first switch is in operable communication with the inverting amplifier and is configured to control sample timing of a correlated offset signal. The second switch is in operable communication with the image sensing device and is configured to control sample timing of the image signal.