Abstract: A high-sensitivity sensor configuration improves upon airborne hyperspectral and multispectral sensing, particularly for thermal/infrared military target detection and/or identification. The invention combines dispersive spectrometer and filtered TDI detector techniques to provide improved NESR through increased dwell time, along with interband temporal simultaneity and spatial registration. Embodiments relating to hyperspectral, multispectral, and dual-band arrangements are disclosed.

Abstract: Two dimensional charge coupled device (CCD) memories are coupled to acoustic charge transport devices (ACT) which act as input and/or output multiplexers for the memories. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the input to a NXM memory is in the form of an optical image projected on the CCD device and the output stage of each column of the memory is provided to one of N FET switches. A 1-D ACT device has multiple taps each connected to the gate of one of the FET switches and as an impulse signal propagates along the ACT channel, the FET switches are successively triggered causing the column outputs to be provided to a summing device to generate a serial output.In an alternative embodiment forming a corner-turn memory, an ACT tapped delay line has a number of equally spaced electrode taps equal to the number of columns of a CCD corner-turn array and each tap is connected to an electrical switch which in turn is connected to an input cell of a bordering row of the array.