Christopher A Kauffman

US Patent:

6876483, Apr 5, 2005

Filed:

May 30, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/448206

Inventors:

Christopher B. Svec - Palatine IL, US
Christopher L. Kauffman - Lake Zurich IL, US
Hao C. Tran - Gurnee IL, US

Assignee:

Northrop Grumman Corporation - Los Angeles CA

International Classification:

G02B026/00
G02B026/08
G02B006/42

US Classification:

359290, 359298, 385 18

Abstract:

Apparatus which directs light rays from a distant target area scene to a plurality of wavelength detection systems without wavelength degradation. A reflective afocal telescope directs the light rays from the scene to a MEMS mirror array which redirects the rays to selected ones of the detection systems. The MEMS mirror array has individually controllable mirror elements which are driven to predetermined angular orientations to accomplish the light ray redirection. Outputs from the detection systems may be provide to a computer for analysis and/or viewing.

US Patent:

7253895, Aug 7, 2007

Filed:

Apr 11, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/103304

Inventors:

Christopher L. Kauffman - Lake Zurich IL, US
Sung-Shik Yoo - Palatine IL, US
Curtis Harkrider - Wheaton IL, US
Philip Minarik - Schaumburg IL, US

Assignee:

Northrop Grumman Corporation - Los Angeles CA

International Classification:

G01J 3/28

US Classification:

356326, 356 73, 356328

Abstract:

An imaging device is provided which may include a plurality of imaging lenses. Each imaging lens may be placed adjacent to a dispersive element. The imaging lenses and dispersive element(s) may be placed adjacent to a focal plane array to allow light from a light emitting event traveling through the imaging lenses to be simultaneously received by the focal plane array. One of the optical channels provides continuous broadband imagery without interfering with the operation of the dispersive optical channels. No moving parts are required in this small compact system, and no reconfiguration during operation is necessary to enable any of the functions, they are all simultaneous. Information related to the light received by the focal plane array may be transmitted to a processor for processing to determine whether the light emitting event is of interest and to determine an event type. Broadband imagery provided may be used for situational awareness, targeting, and surveillance.

US Patent:

7592593, Sep 22, 2009

Filed:

Jul 26, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/493121

Inventors:

Christopher Lee Kauffman - Lake Zurich IL, US
Gerald Pray Griffith - Western Springs IL, US
Ronald B. Jones - Mundelein IL, US
Sung-Shik Yoo - Palatine IL, US
Michael A. Davis - Barrington IL, US

Assignee:

Northrop Grumman Corporation - Los Angelas CA

International Classification:

H01L 25/00

US Classification:

250332, 25033905

Abstract:

A multi-band focal plane array architecture operative to detect multiple spectral image. The multi-band focal plane array architecture has an integrated readout circuit, a plurality of first detectors integrated in the readout circuit and a plurality of second detectors deposited on the readout circuit. Preferably, the first detectors are operative to detect visible signals and the second detectors are operative to detect infrared signals. The first and second detectors are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, in alternate rows or columns, or at least partially overlapped with each other to realize simultaneous detection in two different wavelength bands. The architecture may also have an additional integrated readout circuit flip-chip bonded to the integrated readout circuit. By forming a plurality of third detectors on the additional integrated readout circuit, a tri-band focal plane array may be realized. In one embodiment, a dual-band focal plane array architecture by forming two arrays of detectors on two individual integrated readout circuit and flip-chip bonding these two readout circuits.

US Patent:

7262413, Aug 28, 2007

Filed:

Mar 14, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/079592

Inventors:

Christopher L. Kauffman - Lake Zurich IL, US
Sung-Shik Yoo - Palatine IL, US
Timothy R. Beystrum - Phoenix AZ, US

International Classification:

G01J 5/00

US Classification:

2503384

Abstract:

A photoconductive bolometer infrared detector using a detector material that has a resistance changed due to photo-excitation and thermal-excitation from an incident radiation in the infrared range. The resistance changes caused by photo-excitation and the thermal excitation are additive for this detector material. The detector material is suspended over a substrate by a gap of one quarter wavelength of the incident radiation, such that the thermal absorption of the incident radiation can be enhanced. Preferably, the detector material is lead selenide that has a thermal coefficient of resistance as high as 3. 45% C. , which is about 60% higher than that of vanadium oxide that has been widely used as the detector material in the conventional microbolometers. This detector structure allows dual band uncooled or moderately cooled operation. In the case of the use of PbSe as the detector material, largely enhanced MWIR operation is enabled over a standard uncooled micro-bolometer tuned to the LWIR, and high temperature dual band MWIR and LWIR operation is enabled as compared to quantum well or HgCdTe detectors that must be cooled to cryogenic temperatures.

US Patent:

20080179520, Jul 31, 2008

Filed:

Jan 30, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/699839

Inventors:

Christopher Lee Kauffman - Lake Zurich IL, US
Sung-Shik Yoo - Palatine IL, US

International Classification:

H01L 25/00
G01J 5/00

US Classification:

250332

Abstract:

A direct-view focal plane array (FPA) having a detector layer, an amplification layer, a non-uniformity correction layer and a display layer. A direct path from the detector to the display element in each pixel may be established via a configurable digitally set analog circuit that controls gain and level for non-uniformity correction. The detector layer is operative to detect an infrared image with a raw image pixel response x and convert the infrared image into an electrical signal. The electrical signal is then fed into the amplification layer for amplification and the non-uniformity layer for offset and gain correction. An offset correction coefficient b and a gain correction coefficient m are inputted to the non-uniformity layer, to transform the raw image pixel response x into a corrected pixel response y, which prevents the true scene content from bein masked by the fixed pattern.

US Patent:

20180180474, Jun 28, 2018

Filed:

Feb 21, 2018

Appl. No.:

15/901451

Inventors:

SUNG-SHIK YOO - PALATINE IL, US
CHRISTOPHER L. KAUFFMAN - LAKE ZURICH IL, US
PHILLIP R. MINARIK - SCHAUMBURG IL, US

Assignee:

NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION - FALLS CHURCH VA

International Classification:

G01J 1/46
G01J 1/44

Abstract:

A circuit includes an input capacitor that stores charge based on a current received from a photodetector during a bias phase of the photodetector. The stored charge on the input capacitor is sampled during the sampling phase to determine an amount of light captured by the photodetector. A bias controller supplies a pulsed-bias voltage to the photodetector to generate the current from the photodetector. The bias controller controls the current to a current level below a predetermined current threshold via the pulsed-bias voltage before biasing of the detector and subsequent sampling of the stored charge on the input capacitor is initiated to mitigate 1/F noise in the photodetector.

US Patent:

20170064224, Mar 2, 2017

Filed:

Sep 2, 2015

Appl. No.:

14/843492

Inventors:

SUNG-SHIK YOO - Palatine IL, US
CHRISTOPHER L. KAUFFMAN - Lake Zurich IL, US
PHILLIP R. MINARIK - Schaumburg IL, US

Assignee:

NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION - Falls Church VA

International Classification:

H04N 5/357
H04N 5/376
H04N 5/369
H04N 5/378

Abstract:

A circuit includes an input capacitor that stores charge based on a current received from a photodetector during a bias phase of the photodetector. The stored charge on the input capacitor is sampled during the sampling phase to determine an amount of light captured by the photodetector. A bias controller supplies a pulsed-bias voltage to the photodetector to generate the current from the photodetector. The bias controller controls the current to a current level below a predetermined current threshold via the pulsed-bias voltage before biasing of the detector and subsequent sampling of the stored charge on the input capacitor is initiated to mitigate 1/F noise in the photodetector.