Advances in image intensified video camera systems

Current developments in head mounted night vision systems involve the use of various video cameras and displays. Many development efforts are aimed at generating digital video images of different parts of the EM spectrum and fusing this information into a single real time video image for the user. Image intensified video cameras are one of the camera types that are undergoing continuing development to serve this purpose. The topic of this paper is a discussion of the electronic architectures that may be used in designing such cameras. This camera development area has highlighted the importance of the downstream electronics that receives and processes the "raw" digital video signal coming from the miniature camera. Some of the significant video system architecture decisions bear on the partitioning of these downstream video processing functions throughout the overall vision system in which the camera resides. The rapidly evolving capabilities of the digital video electronic hardware that provides the video processing functions offer a wide choice of system architectures for video system design. In this paper the camera and its associated digital processing functions are discussed as an integrated camera system.