Patent ID: 7265331
Filing Date: 2007-09-04
Classification: F41G,G01S

Abstract:
1. An optical sensing apparatus, comprising; a plurality of optical sensing elements arranged in an array, each element having a unique element address identifying the location of the element within the array, each element for sensing light and producing an element address signal in proportion to the intensity of light sensed by the element; an address bus for receiving the element address signal from each element in the array and asserting a continuously valid array output signal corresponding to the address of the element sensing the highest intensity of light; and a buffer for receiving the array output signal and producing a buffered array output signal, wherein the buffer includes a threshold comparator, the threshold comparator for receiving an input having a signal level less than or equal to a predetermined low signal level and producing a low signal output, the threshold comparator for receiving an input signal having a signal level greater than or equal to a predetermined high signal level and producing a high signal output, wherein when the threshold comparator receives an input signal having a signal level that is both greater than a predetermined low signal level and less than a predetermined high signal level the threshold comparator produces an intermediate signal output.