Method and Apparatus for On-Chip per-Pixel Pseudorandom Time-Coded Exposure

High-speed imaging is a critical component in many technological and scientific applications, from microscopy to military surveillance to industrial quality control. Traditional detectors face several limitations, particularly the problem of blurring of targets moving faster than the detector frame rate. This blurring poses serious issues in applications requiring high resolution and fast capture speeds. Additionally, multitarget and multifrequency discrimination has increasingly become a necessity rather than a luxury. Current generation digital-pixel focal plane array (DFPA) systems can only extract single transient features per snapshot, greatly limiting their use when multiple fast-moving targets need to be imaged simultaneously and differentiated. Similarly, the current technology also struggles to discriminate between different frequencies, limiting their utility further in high-speed, multitarget situations. Moreover, imaging systems generally face a trade-off between resolution and frame rate, making it difficult to simultaneously achieve high-quality and high-speed imaging.

Technology Description

The imager uses digital-pixel focal plane arrays (DFPAs) in combination with in-pixel electronic shuttering and known time-encoded modulations to capture images of fast-moving, or transient, targets. This technology moves beyond traditional imaging methods that are typically constrained by a trade-off between resolution and frame rate. While conventional DFPA systems are capable of extracting a single transient feature in a snapshot, this proposed imager achieves multitarget and multifrequency discrimination at speeds that are orders of magnitude faster than the readout frame rate. What sets this technology apart is its ability to reconstruct a three-dimensional data cube by using compressive sensing algorithms. This innovative approach allows for the accurate identification and visual representation of multiple fast-moving targets. This resolution enhancement, together with its high-speed capture ability, makes this imager a significant advancement in the field of high-speed imaging technology.