Patent ID: 6753909
Filing Date: 2004-06-22
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A camera for producing an output indicative of an intensity distribution of a light beam propagating along an optical path, comprising:an array of optical detectors placed in the optical path such that at least some detectors receive portions of the light beam and thereby output individual detection signals, each detection signal indicative of an intensity of the portion of the light beam received by the detector that outputted the detection signal; an analyzer/driver for receiving the detection signals and producing control signals, the analyzer further producing composite signals from the detection signals and the control signals, the composite signals thereby having a magnitude corresponding to the intensity of portions of the light beam; and a filter placed proximately to the array in the optical path before the array, the filter including spatial sections of individually adjustable optical density, the filter receiving the control signals for adjusting the optical density of the individual sections; the analyzer/driver computing a weighted sum of the received detection signals in a neighborhood around a central detector corresponding to a single filter section and adjusting the optical density of the filter section to move the weighed sum toward a global average.