Abstract

Linear image sensors like charge-coupled devices (CCD) operating the push-broom mode can be optically butted together to improve the resolution. In the normal butting methods the field of view of the optics is increased, which is given by the field of view of one array times the number of arrays butted. The scheme proposed in this paper can be used for butting two CCD arrays without doubling the field of view. The different photosites in a CCD array are separated by the channel stoppers. The areas corresponding to these stoppers remain uncovered in the image. The two arrays in the proposed scheme are butted in such a way that the centers of the photosite of one array optically coincide with the centers of the channel stoppers of the other array. This can be accomplished by butting the two arrays on the two faces of a rectangular prism (having semisilvered diagonal surface) and offsetting them to align the centers of photosites and channel stoppers of the two arrays. The composite array developed by this method is having double the number of resolution elements without doubling the field of view.

© 1985 Optical Society of America