Inventors:
Nathan DeVilbiss - Sandia Park NM, US
Ryan Olcott - Rio Rancho NM, US
Peter Thomas - Albuquerque NM, US
Gregory Spanjers - Sandia Park NM, US
James Winter - Albuquerque NM, US
Jason Guarnieri - Albuquerque NM, US
Timothy Klatt - Albuquerque NM, US
Holly Victorson - Albuquerque NM, US
Thomas Roberts - Albuquerque NM, US
Robert Thompson - Marina Del Rey CA, US
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Airforce - Washington DC
International Classification:
G01J 5/00
Abstract:
A sensor assembly that replaces a single focal plane array detector with two focal plane array detectors orientated with respect to each other such that a power splitter divides an incoming light source equally between each detector. The two detectors are selected such that the locations of poorly-operating pixels in each detector do not overlay. The output signals of each detector are then electronically or analytically combined to yield 100 percent operability. Separate switchable wavelength filter wheels having one or more different wavelength filters may be positioned between the power splitter and each of the detectors. The power splitter may be replaced by a polarization splitter. One detector can be translated perpendicular to the incoming light source relative to the second detector to compensate for new poorly-operating pixels and/or to improve the spatial resolution.