US4611124A — Fly's eye sensor nonlinear signal processing

Claim 1

Independent Claim 264 words

Fly eye detector apparatus comprising the combination of: N apertured optical lens means for coupling transducer elements with a viewed scene, N being a first predetermined integral number greater than 1: optical to electrical retina means including an N plurality of solid state transducer cells each coupled with one of said N apertures and each containing an M plurality of transducer elements, M being a second predetermined integral number greater than 1, said cells of elements being located in the focal plane of said optical lens means for generating optically determined electrical signals; logarithmic electrical signal correlation means of at least M×N number of signal channels and located adjacent said transducer elements for converting said transducer electrical signals to electrical pulse signals, each channel of said signal correlating means including: electrical storage circuit means for logarithmically accumulating one of said transducer element electrical signals, said storage circuit means including a capacitor element and a charging current first electrical resistance element series connected therewith, the electrical sizes of said capacitor and charging current first resistance element being related according to a predetermined first electrical time constant; electrical switch means closable in response to attainment of a predetermined voltage across said capacitor element for discharging said capacitor element; a second electrical resistance element connected in series with said switch means and capacitor element for generating a capacitor discharge pulse signal, the electrical size of said capacitor and said second resistance element being related according to a second electrical time constant; means for counting the number of said capacitor discharge pulses occurring during a predetermined time interval.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 264 words

Fly eye detector apparatus comprising the combination of: N apertured optical lens means for coupling transducer elements with a viewed scene, N being a first predetermined integral number greater than 1: optical to electrical retina means including an N plurality of solid state transducer cells each coupled with one of said N apertures and each containing an M plurality of transducer elements, M being a second predetermined integral number greater than 1, said cells of elements being located in the focal plane of said optical lens means for generating optically determined electrical signals; logarithmic electrical signal correlation means of at least M×N number of signal channels and located adjacent said transducer elements for converting said transducer electrical signals to electrical pulse signals, each channel of said signal correlating means including: electrical storage circuit means for logarithmically accumulating one of said transducer element electrical signals, said storage circuit means including a capacitor element and a charging current first electrical resistance element series connected therewith, the electrical sizes of said capacitor and charging current first resistance element being related according to a predetermined first electrical time constant; electrical switch means closable in response to attainment of a predetermined voltage across said capacitor element for discharging said capacitor element; a second electrical resistance element connected in series with said switch means and capacitor element for generating a capacitor discharge pulse signal, the electrical size of said capacitor and said second resistance element being related according to a second electrical time constant; means for counting the number of said capacitor discharge pulses occurring during a predetermined time interval.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said discharging second time constant is substantially shorter than said charging first time constant.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said signal processing means is located on a common substrate with said retina means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 16 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said electrical switch means includes a semiconductor device electronic switch.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 19 words

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said discharging second time constant is one-fifth of said charging first time constant.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 24 words

The apparatus of claim 5 further including optical signal responsive feedback means for varying the capacitor element voltage at which said electronic switch closes.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 17 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said signal processing means is fabricated on an integrated circuit chip.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said integrated circuit chip is composed of silicon.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 31 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said optical lens means includes a plural array of adjacent lens elements each coupled to one of said transducer cells by a light transmitting member.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 26 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said M transducer elements are comprised of M light transmitting fibers each surrounded by a continuous layer of photosensitive film.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 45 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said M transducer elements are comprised of R light transmitting fibers each attended by S segregated photosensitive transducer elements where R and S are predetermined integral numbers and M is equal to the mathematical product of R and S.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 36 words

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said fibers are cylindrical in shape and said S photosensitive transducer elements are each dispersed over the circumference and length of said cylindrical fiber in accordance with a predetermined configuration.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 178 words

Optical signal processing apparatus comprising: a light conducting cylindrical fiber member mounted on an integrated circuit substrate and located to receive viewed scene light energy at one end thereof and including a photosensitive light to electrical energy transducing film received on the cylindrical surface thereof; amplifier means located on said integrated circuit substrate member for increasing the magnitude of an electrical signal generated by said transducing film to a predetermined signal range; electrical reactive means for accumulating electrical energy at a rate determined by the instantaneous amplitude of said electrical signal and a reactive means accumulation time constant; dissipation means for dissipating said reactive means accumulated electrical energy in response to each attainment of a predetermined quantity of energy in said reactive means, said dissipation occurring at a rate determined by a dissipation time constant; means located on said integrated circuit substrate for counting and remembering the number of dissipating events occurring in a predetermined time interval, the number of remembered dissipating events being indicative of received scene light intensity and duration according to a predetermined non-linear relationship.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 178 words

Optical signal processing apparatus comprising: a light conducting cylindrical fiber member mounted on an integrated circuit substrate and located to receive viewed scene light energy at one end thereof and including a photosensitive light to electrical energy transducing film received on the cylindrical surface thereof; amplifier means located on said integrated circuit substrate member for increasing the magnitude of an electrical signal generated by said transducing film to a predetermined signal range; electrical reactive means for accumulating electrical energy at a rate determined by the instantaneous amplitude of said electrical signal and a reactive means accumulation time constant; dissipation means for dissipating said reactive means accumulated electrical energy in response to each attainment of a predetermined quantity of energy in said reactive means, said dissipation occurring at a rate determined by a dissipation time constant; means located on said integrated circuit substrate for counting and remembering the number of dissipating events occurring in a predetermined time interval, the number of remembered dissipating events being indicative of received scene light intensity and duration according to a predetermined non-linear relationship.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 31 words

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said electrical reactive means is a capacitor and wherein said accumulated electrical energy is in the form of voltage dependent charge stored in said capacitor.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 15 words

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said dissipation means includes a voltage sensitive electronic switch.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1989-09-08	1990-03-10	1990-09-09	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1993-09-08	1994-03-10	1994-09-09	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1997-09-08	1998-03-10	1998-09-09	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Fly's eye sensor nonlinear signal processing

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