Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Photocell controls its own optical systems
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-17
2001-11-27
Allen, Stephone B. (Department: 2878)
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Photocell controls its own optical systems
C250S208200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06323474
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of electro-optical systems and more specifically to a method and system for modulating light.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Production of electro-optical systems requires modulating input light in order to selectively enhance and filter areas of an image. For example, a bright light source may wash out the image from an image intensifier tube, resulting in an image with little or no detail. Or, a bright source may wash out the portion of the area around the bright source, again causing the image to lose detail around the source. Known methods of modulating light have not been completely satisfactory at addressing this problem.
Known methods of modulating light include the mechanical chopper, electro-optical, acousto-optical, and gated system methods for accommodating bright light sources. Mechanical choppers utilize electrically-controlled mechanical means, for example, an aperature, to modulate light. Electro-optical modulation uses electrical means to control the refractive index of a crystal in order to modulate the amount of light that passes through the crystal. Similarly, acousto-optical modulation uses force applied to a crystal to modulate the amount of light that passes through the crystal. Gated systems switch an image intensifier tube on and off in order to accommodate bright sources. These known methods, however, are not detector oriented, and cannot modulate light in response to input light. Moreover, these methods often fail to produce sufficiently clear images because they often darken the whole image, causing the darker areas of the image to become less visible.
While these methods and systems have provided a significant improvement over prior approaches, the challenges in the field of electro-optical systems have continued to increase with demands for more and better techniques having greater effectiveness. Therefore, a need has arisen for a new method and system for modulating light.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a method and system for modulating light are provided that substantially eliminate or reduce disadvantages and problems associated with previously developed systems and methods.
A system for modulating light is disclosed. The system comprises a detector operable to receive radiation as an input and generate detector data, representative of the input radiation, as an output. An information processor is operable to receive and process the detector data and generate control data. A filter associated with the detector is operable to receive the control data and filter radiation input to the detector in response to the control data.
A system for light modulation is disclosed. The system comprises a sensor operable to receive radiation as an input and generate detector data, representative of the input radiation, as an output. An information processor is operable to receive and process the detector data and generate control data. A filter is operable to receive the control data and filter radiation in response to the control data.
A four-step method for modulating light is disclosed. Step one calls for detecting input radiation with a detector in order to obtain detector data. Step two requires processing the detector data to generate control data. Step three provides transmitting the control data to a filter. The last step calls for filtering radiation with the filter in response to the control data.
A technical advantage of the present invention is that it identifies light and dark areas of input radiation, allowing for proper modulation of the radiation to achieve a desired output image. Moreover, this advantage allows for a bright source to be identified and used to mark a specific point in the image. Another technical advantage of the present invention is that it can selectively modulate the amount of radiation at particular pixels of an image. This allows for filtering around a bright source in order to prevent the source from washing an image, without decreasing the quality of the darker areas of the image. Moreover, selectively decreasing the amount of input radiation dramatically improves the ability of range finding detectors to range a target in situations where the input radiation is not uniform. Furthermore, selectively decreasing radiation protects sensitive detectors and intensifiers from damaging radiation, thus extending the lifetimes of these parts, without sacrificing the quality of the output.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6066844 (2000-05-01), Ford et al.
Allen Stephone B.
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Litton Systems Inc.
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