Photon detection with parallel-asynchronous processing

A new approach to photon detection with a parallel asynchronous signal processor is described. The visible or infrared photon detection capability of the silicon p+-n-n+ detectors and the parallel asynchronous processing are addressed separately. This approach would permit an independent analog processing channel to be dedicated to every pixel. A laminar architecture consisting of a stack of planar arrays of the devices would form a two-dimensional array processor with a 2-D array of inputs located directly behind a focal plane detector array. A 2-D image data stream would propagate in neuronlike asynchronous pulse coded form through the laminar processor. Such systems would integrate image acquisition and image processing. Acquisition and processing would be performed concurrently as in natural vision systems. The possibility of multispectral image processing is addressed.