CMOS Imager Will Add Video to Night Vision Scopes

Princeton, NJ (April 25, 2000)—Sarnoff Corporation, the Princeton-based technology development and commercialization firm, announced today that Litton Electro-Optical Systems (LEOS) will integrate Sarnoff's high-sensitivity CMOS camera-on-a-chip technology with the LEOS image intensified camera system to create a video-enabled night vision system for the United States Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM). The project was announced at the SPIE Aerosense conference in Orlando, FL.

Sarnoff will be a subcontractor on the project, which was awarded to Garland, TX-based LEOS by CECOM's Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD). Sarnoff will use fiber optics to couple a new active pixel CMOS image sensor, with 100X the dynamic range of conventional imagers, to the LEOS Gated, Unfilmed, Halo-free image intensifier. Sarnoff will also provide a camera controller with analog video output. The system will have high resolution and low power consumption.

"We are pleased to be working with LEOS on this exciting project," said Robert Andreas, Sarnoff's Director of Business Development for Optoelectronics. "Combining their cutting-edge image intensifiers and system integration techniques with our camera technology will give military units a powerful, lightweight videoscope for low light and nighttime operations."

The complete videoscope, at approximately 4 x 2 inches and 290 grams, will be small and light enough for easy portability and use in the field. Its low power requirements will minimize the need to change batteries in field use.

According to Andreas, adding video to night vision scopes also permits recording of scenes and transmission to remote locations.

Low Cost, High Performance

The new videoscope takes advantage of proven technology for lower overall cost for CECOM-NVESD, but includes custom capabilities specifically designed to improve its performance in the field.

The Sarnoff CMOS APS imager at the heart of the scope's video capabilities uses the company's proprietary XDR (eXtended Dynamic Range) technology for unparalleled intra-scene contrast. The imager allows viewers to see details in dark shadows and bright highlight areas simultaneously. In conventional cameras it is only possible to see details in one of these areas at a time. The imager is specifically designed to match the characteristics of the latest LEOS Gen IV image intensifier for the sharpest, highest contrast imagery.

Sarnoff Corporation, 201 Washington Road, CN5300, Princeton, NJ 08543-5300. Tel: 609-734-2000; Fax: 609-734-2040.