Patents by Inventor Peter Michael Thorne
Peter Michael Thorne has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9841488Abstract: An Infra Red detector system and method is disclosed that implements a digital coordinate generator onto a 2D focal plane array infrared detector. The method used in this form of the invention by the IR detector system, generates X-Y coordinate data for pixels containing detected target data. Advantageously, it reduces subsequent signal post processing required to generate the same data using numerical processing techniques in software and the latency that this introduces.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2010Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: LEONARDO MW LTDInventor: Peter Michael Thorne
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Patent number: 9063012Abstract: An Infra Red detector system and method is disclosed. There is benefit in providing signal processing functions into each pixel of a 2D focal plane IR detector for applications such as hostile target detection. The thermal characteristics of muzzle flash or a projectile and it's trajectory for example are distinguishable from background scene. A technique to add a signal detection function to normal IR detector thermal imaging operation to a standard direct inject Integrate While Read (IWR) pixel circuit and for providing target detection at extremely high data rates is described.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2010Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: SELEX ES LTDInventor: Peter Michael Thorne
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Patent number: 9060141Abstract: A system and method of reducing undesirable image artifacts such as image tear and image smearing are described. The system can include a series of pixels and enhanced sensitivity circuits. The circuit can be configured so as to operate in an enhanced sensitivity mode having a combination of sample and hold circuits and binning functions, the combination acting so as to reduce the undesirable imaging artifacts.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2010Date of Patent: June 16, 2015Assignee: SELEX ES LTDInventors: Mark Clifford Wilson, Peter Michael Thorne
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Patent number: 8416331Abstract: An imaging device is capable of on-chip processing data output by a series of pixels 1, 2, 16. The pixels 1, 2, 16 are arranged into a series of super pixels or tiles that together form a large area array. The pixels 1, 2, 16 are arranged into two groups, nominally group A (odd pixels) and group B (even pixels). Data from the individual pixels 1, 2, 16 is read out according to the relative position of the pixel within each group. The technique employed by the device allows the array data rate to be controlled dynamically by the super pixel information content. The output data bandwidth is increased at the expense of image spatial resolution where scene content contains large uniform areas (e.g. desert, sea, sky) that would otherwise generate huge amounts of similar data that carries little additional information.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2008Date of Patent: April 9, 2013Assignee: Selex Galileo LimitedInventor: Peter Michael Thorne
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Publication number: 20120154597Abstract: A system and method of reducing undesirable image artefacts such as image tear and image smearing are described. The system can include a series of pixels and enhanced sensitivity circuits. The circuit can be configured so as to operate in an enhanced sensitivity mode having a combination of sample and hold circuits and binning functions, the combination acting so as to reduce the undesirable imaging artefacts.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2010Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: Selex Galileo LimitedInventors: Mark Clifford Wilson, Peter Michael Thorne
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Publication number: 20120001073Abstract: An Infra Red detector system and method is disclosed that implements a digital coordinate generator onto a 2D focal plane array infrared detector. The method used in this form of the invention by the IR detector system, generates X-Y coordinate data for pixels containing detected target data. Advantageously, it reduces subsequent signal post processing required to generate the same data using numerical processing techniques in software and the latency that this introduces.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2010Publication date: January 5, 2012Applicant: SELEX GALILEO LIMITEDInventor: Peter Michael Thorne
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Publication number: 20110303846Abstract: An Infra Red detector system and method is disclosed. There is benefit in providing signal processing functions into each pixel of a 2D focal plane IR detector for applications such as hostile target detection. The thermal characteristics of muzzle flash or a projectile and it's trajectory for example are distinguishable from background scene. A technique to add a signal detection function to normal IR detector thermal imaging operation to a standard direct inject Integrate While Read (IWR) pixel circuit and for providing target detection at extremely high data rates is described.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2010Publication date: December 15, 2011Applicant: Selex Galileo LimitedInventor: Peter Michael Thorne
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Publication number: 20100289934Abstract: An imaging device is capable of on-chip processing data output by a series of pixels 1, 2, 16. The pixels 1, 2, 16 are arranged into a series of super pixels or tiles that together form a large area array. The pixels 1, 2, 16 are arranged into two groups, nominally group A (odd pixels) and group B (even pixels). Data from the individual pixels 1, 2, 16 is read out according to the relative position of the pixel within each group. The technique employed by the device allows the array data rate to be controlled dynamically by the super pixel information content. The output data bandwidth is increased at the expense of image spatial resolution where scene content contains large uniform areas (e.g. desert, sea, sky) that would otherwise generate huge amounts of similar data that carries little additional information.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2008Publication date: November 18, 2010Applicant: SELEX GALILEO LIMITEDInventor: Peter Michael Thorne
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Publication number: 20100252736Abstract: An imaging system is described which includes a radiation source outputting radiation incident on a scene. The radiation is pulsed and the reflected radiation is detected by a detector array and a resulting signal output by a read out circuit. The signal output is characteristic of the scene on which the radiation is incident. The output signal is combined over a number of pulses, the averaging being carried out on-chip and within the detector circuitry. The radiation source may be a semiconductor diode source amplified with a doped fibre amplifier.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2008Publication date: October 7, 2010Applicant: SELEX GALILEO LIMITEDInventors: Peter Michael Thorne, Peter Knowles, Ian M. Baker, Jeremy Crouch, Richard Ash