High performance scanning miniature star camera system
US9648252B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 14, 2014 |
| Grant date | May 9, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 28, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N23/20
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A star camera system that includes an optical system configured to focus radiation from a star to be imaged onto a collector that is in the form of an electron bombarded active pixel sensor (EBAPS) configured to provide high gain. The EBAPS comprising a photocathode disposed in a vacuum is configured to release electrons into the vacuum when exposed to radiation focused thereon by the optical system. The EBAPS includes an active pixel sensor anode disposed distant from the photocathode in the vacuum. An electric field is generated by a voltage source to direct the electrons from the photocathode to the active pixel sensor anode. Furthermore, the collector is mounted on a translation device configured to move the collector relative to the optical system by a predetermined amount of less than pixel size in the focal plane of the optical system to increase image resolution of a plurality of images.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.