A method of quasi-continuous image formation in observation devices with discrete receivers

Abstract

The article proposes a new method of quasi-continuous image formation in observation devices with discrete receivers. The increase in the number of spatial sampling points in the object image is provided by intraframe scanning. Scanning is carried out by a photosensitive matrix with a regularly changed (controlled) density of the elementary receivers (CDR-matrix). The CDR-matrix contains identical elementary receivers. They are regularly distributed over the matrix surface. The vertical and horizontal distance between adjacent receivers is a multiple of the size of the elementary receiver. The CDR-matrix becomes equivalent in pixel dimensions to a larger photosensitive matrix. The magnitude of the multiplicity placement of the receivers is chosen by the developer when designing the light-sensitive matrix. The image of the object by the CDR-matrix (a separate frame) is composed of a series of snapshots. Each snapshot is formed by signals coming from all elementary receivers of the CDR-matrix. The number of snapshots in the frame is set by the multiplicity of the size of the elementary receivers vertically and horizontally. While using intraframe scanning, the CDR-matrix with a pixel size of the video format can operate in the mode of a photosensitive matrix with a pixel size of 2.5 MP. A CDR-matrix with a pixel size of 6 MP can operate as a 48 MP matrix of a conventional design. A mechanism for storing a frame with observation results when using a CDR-matrix is proposed. It assumes the use of the matrix addition operation. The signal matrix of the observed frame is considered as the sum of the signal matrices of all the snapshots in the frame. Application of the developed method will make it possible to multiply the pixel size of the image relative to the pixel size of the controllable photosensitive matrix. The advantages of the proposed method also include the absence of a mandatory decrease in the effective area of an elementary receiver with an increase in their number in the photosensitive matrix; simplification of hardware measures to reduce the effect of image shift on its quality; absence of information losses in the intervals between adjacent elementary receivers.

Features of hardware implementation of quasi-continuous observation devices with discrete receivers

“…An example of a frame formation is shown in Fig. 1 [14]. It corresponds to the operation of a RCDOERmatrix with multiplicities of placement k 1 = 2 and k 2 = 1.…”

“…The elements of the matrix description of the frame are signals from the pixels of all images in the snapshots. The matrix description of the frame image contains matrix elements of the following types [14]:…”

“…The general rule for the sequence of recording signals from the frame pixels will be as follows [14]:…”

“…The search of opportunity to fulfill Eq. ( 6) involves following hardware and algorithmic solutions: (1) constructive improvements [4,5] in using multi-camera observation devices [6] (which, however, complicate the design of observation devices); (2) a decrease in the size of an elementary receiver to the diffraction limit, so more receivers can be placed on a unit of surface matrix [7,8] (the implementation of which is technologically complicated and limited by theoretical limits of applicability); (3) consideration of the design of the real tasks of a receiver for observing objects [9] (it reduces the possibility of observing all objects in the image); (4) taking into account the spectral properties of objects of observation and using additional signs of their recognition [10,11] (during the hyper-spectral observation of an object, a large amount of information is accumulated, and its interpretation requires a high and specific operator qualifications); (5) use of regularly changing (controlled) density of elementary receiversmatrices (RCDOER-matrices) in the structure of the species tool (RCDOER-matrices is only declared, the tasks and conditions of effective work are not formulated); and (6) application of special procedures for processing observation results [12][13][14][15][16] (the possibilities of algorithmic processing are a posterior, and they are always limited to the results of apparatus observation).…”