Augmented Active-Pixel Sensors Would Compute Centers of Mass

Circuits to generate analog or digital representations of the coordinates of the centers of mass of images would be added to imaging photodetector arrays of the active-pixel-sensor (APS) type, according to a proposal. "Centers of mass" as used here is something of a misnomer of historic origin; a more precise term would be "centers of illumination," or, the case of nonlinear or unequal photodetector responses, "centers of response." Regardless of which term one uses, the significance of the proposal is that it would enable APS units to locate and/or track still or moving images representing objects in various states of rest or motion.