公开(公告)号：US11561132B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-24

申请号：US16892430

申请日：2020-06-04

Applicant: RAYTHEON COMPANY

Inventor： Eric J. Beuville ,  Micky Harris ,  Ryan Boesch ,  Christian M. Boemler

IPC: G01J1/46 ,  G01J5/34 ,  G01J1/44

Abstract: A pixel includes a detector that changes its operating characteristics based on incident energy, an integration capacitor arranged to discharge stored charge through the detector based on changes in the operating characteristics, and an floating gate injection device disposed between the photo-diode and the integration capacitor that controls flow of the charge from the integration capacitor to the detector. The floating gate injection device has a gate, a source electrically coupled to the detector at a first node, and a drain electrically coupled to the integration capacitor. The gate has a control voltage (VT) stored therein to set to a per-pixel bias gate voltage to control a detector bias voltage of the detector at the first node.

公开(公告)号：US11202021B2

公开(公告)日：2021-12-14

申请号：US16697742

申请日：2019-11-27

Applicant: RAYTHEON COMPANY

Inventor： Ali E. Zadeh ,  Eric J. Beuville ,  Joshua J. Cantrell

IPC: H04N5/335 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H01L27/146

Abstract: A digital unit-cell included in an imaging system includes a light sensor configured to generate an electrical charge in response to receiving light, and an energy storage circuit configured to establish a first parasitic capacitance and second large capacitance to store the electrical charge. The digital unit-cell further includes a gain selection circuit and a dual-mode comparator. The gain selection circuit is configured operate in a first mode to invoke the first capacitance and a second mode to invoke the second capacitance. The dual-mode comparator is configured to operate in a first reset mode that generates a first reset signal having a first pulse duration and a second reset mode that generates a second reset signal having a second pulse duration that is a longer than the first pulse duration.

公开(公告)号：US20210160442A1

公开(公告)日：2021-05-27

申请号：US16697742

申请日：2019-11-27

Applicant: RAYTHEON COMPANY

Inventor： Ali E. Zadeh ,  Eric J. Beuville ,  Joshua J. Cantrell

IPC: H04N5/335 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/3745

Abstract: A digital unit-cell included in an imaging system includes a light sensor configured to generate an electrical charge in response to receiving light, and an energy storage circuit configured to establish a first parasitic capacitance and second large capacitance to store the electrical charge. The digital unit-cell further includes a gain selection circuit and a dual-mode comparator. The gain selection circuit is configured operate in a first mode to invoke the first capacitance and a second mode to invoke the second capacitance. The dual-mode comparator is configured to operate in a first reset mode that generates a first reset signal having a first pulse duration and a second reset mode that generates a second reset signal having a second pulse duration that is a longer than the first pulse duration.

公开(公告)号：US20200066781A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-27

申请号：US16549069

申请日：2019-08-23

Applicant: RAYTHEON COMPANY

Inventor： Eric J. Beuville ,  Micky Harris ,  Ryan Boesch ,  Christian M. Boemler

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H01L27/148 ,  H04N5/359

Abstract: A pixel includes a photo-diode, an integration capacitor arranged to receive a photo current from the photo-diode and to store charge developed from the photo current; and an injection transistor disposed between the photo-diode and the integration capacitor that controls flow of the photo current from the photo-diode to the integration capacitor, the injection transistor having a gate, a source electrically coupled to the photo-diode at a first node, and a drain electrically coupled to the integration capacitor. The injection transistor is a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) FET having its gate set to a SONOS gate voltage to control a detector bias voltage of the photo-diode at the first node.

公开(公告)号：US10451487B1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-22

申请号：US16110367

申请日：2018-08-23

Applicant: RAYTHEON COMPANY

Inventor： Adam M. Kennedy ,  Eli E. Gordon ,  Eric J. Beuville ,  Ryan Paul Boesch ,  Jeffrey K. Hamers

IPC: G01J5/20 ,  G01J5/06 ,  G01J5/52 ,  G01J5/00

Abstract: Microbolometer arrays incorporating per-pixel dark reference structures for non-uniformity correction. In one example a thermal imager includes a device substrate, a microbolometer array disposed on the device substrate and including a plurality of detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional array, each detector element including an imaging microbolometer and a reference microbolometer, the imaging microbolometer being configured to receive electromagnetic radiation from a viewed scene and to produce an image signal in response to receiving the electromagnetic radiation, the image signal including a component produced due to thermal noise in the respective detector element, and the reference microbolometer being shielded from receiving the electromagnetic radiation and configured to produce a reference signal indicative of the thermal noise, wherein the thermal imaging device is configured to produce an image of the viewed scene based on a combination of the image signals and the reference signals from the plurality of detector elements.

公开(公告)号：US20190180113A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-13

申请号：US16279182

申请日：2019-02-19

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Micky R. Harris ,  Eric J. Beuville ,  Juliette S. Costa ,  Christian M. Boemler ,  Mark A. Massie

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  G01J1/02 ,  H04N1/409 ,  H04N5/14 ,  H04N5/355 ,  G01S17/02 ,  H04N5/369 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  G01T1/17

Abstract: A method includes repeatedly charging and discharging a capacitor, where the capacitor is charged based on illumination received at a pixel. The method also includes comparing a voltage stored on the capacitor with a reference voltage using a comparator. The method further includes incrementing or decrementing a first counter value of a first counter each time a comparator output indicates that the capacitor voltage has reached the reference voltage during a first period of time. The method also includes incrementing or decrementing a second counter value of a second counter each time the comparator output indicates that the capacitor voltage has reached the reference voltage during multiple smaller second periods of time within the first period of time. In addition, the method includes resetting the second counter for each second period of time and generating a pixel event indicator in response to the second counter value obtaining a value indicative of a bright intensity event.