Evaluation of the microscanning process

Jean Fortin; Paul C. Chevrette; Robert Plante

doi:10.1117/12.188643

Translator Disclaimer

17 October 1994 Evaluation of the microscanning process

Jean Fortin, Paul C. Chevrette, Robert Plante

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 2269, Infrared Technology XX; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.188643
Event: SPIE's 1994 International Symposium on Optics, Imaging, and Instrumentation, 1994, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

Focal plane arrays allowed tremendous improvement in the robustness and compactness of thermal imagers reducing both mechanical and optical requirements. However, these will always be limited by the pixel size, the fill factor, and by the sampling theorem. As compared to older one-detector scanning systems, focal plane arrays can only reproduce half the frequencies scanning systems do for a given instantaneous field of view. To overcome this limitation, microscanning seems to be a winning approach. Microscanning can be seen as an oversampling process. A series of images representing the same scene are taken while displacing each time the image over the array by a fraction of the detector pitch. The oversampled image is built by interlacing all the pixels from all the images in both directions. It can be shown that microscanning can bring the resolution to the same level it is with standard scanning system. Furthermore, by characterizing the process, one can compensate for it and bring the resolution to the level of a microdisplacement. This article describes work that has been undertaken at the Defense Research Establishment Valcartier to evaluate the requirements for the microscanning process and to determine gains that can be obtained by using that technique in a surveillance application.

Citation Download Citation

Jean Fortin, Paul C. Chevrette, and Robert Plante "Evaluation of the microscanning process", Proc. SPIE 2269, Infrared Technology XX, (17 October 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.188643

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE