# US 11,906,362 B2 · Systems and methods for thermal radiation detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,906,362 B2 - Document ID: US11906362B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/156,423 - Filed: 2023-01-19 - Published: 2023-05-18 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-27 - Assignees: The Procter & Gamble Company - Applicants: The Procter & Gamble Company - Inventors: Stephen Michael Varga; Steven Henry Mersch - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906362B2 ## CPC - G01J 3/0227: {using notch filters} - G01J 5/03: Arrangements for indicating or recording specially adapted for radiation pyrometers - G01J 5/061: by controlling the temperature of the apparatus or parts thereof, e.g. using cooling means or thermostats - G01J 5/064: {Ambient temperature sensor; Housing temperature sensor; Constructional details thereof} - G01J 5/24: Use of specially adapted circuits, e.g. bridge circuits - G01N 21/3563: for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor - G01N 21/8903: {using a multiple detector array} - H10F 30/2212: {the devices comprising active layers made of only Group II-VI materials, e.g. HgCdTe infrared photodiodes} - H10F 30/2215: {the devices comprising active layers made of only Group III-V materials} - H10F 39/022: {of image sensors having active layers comprising only Group II-VI materials, e.g. CdS, ZnS or CdTe} - H10F 39/184: {Infrared image sensors} - H10F 39/803: {Pixels having integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements} - H10F 77/1237: {having at least three elements, e.g. HgCdTe} - H10F 77/147: {Shapes of bodies} - H10F 77/60: Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or compensating for temperature fluctuations - G01J 2005/0077: {Imaging} - H04N 5/33: Transforming infrared radiation (cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20) - H04N 25/60: Noise processing, e.g. detecting, correcting, reducing or removing noise - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Systems and methods for thermal radiation detection utilizing a thermal radiation detection system are provided. The thermal radiation detection system includes one or more mercury-cadmium-telluride (HgCdTe)-based photodiode infrared detectors or Indium Arsenide (InAs)-based photodiode infrared detectors and a temperature sensing circuit. The temperature sensing circuit is configured to generate signals correlated to the temperatures of one or more of the plurality of infrared sensor elements. The thermal radiation detection system also includes a signal processing circuit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A thermal radiation detection system, comprising: a plurality of infrared sensor elements arranged as an array, wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensor elements comprises a semiconductor selected from a mercury-cadmium-telluride (HgCdTe)-based photodiode infrared detector, or an Indium Arsenide (InAs)-based photodiode infrared detector, configured to generate an output responsive to detected infrared wavelengths; a temperature sensing circuit, the temperature sensing circuit configured to generate signals correlated to temperatures of one or more of the plurality of infrared sensor elements; wherein the temperature sensing circuit comprises one or more temperature sensing device, wherein the one or more temperature sensing device is a negative temperature coefficient thermistor, a thermocouple, an infrared sensitive photodiode, or a resistance temperature detector; and a signal processing circuit, the signal processing circuit configured to generate a signal usable by an imaging system based on the signals generated by the temperature sensing circuit and output based on the infrared sensor elements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 1, comprising an amplifier circuit, the amplifier circuit configured to convert the outputs from the plurality of infrared sensor elements to output voltages, wherein the amplifier circuit comprises a transimpedance amplifier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 1, comprising a cooling circuit, the cooling circuit configured to regulate an operational temperature of the plurality of infrared sensor elements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 3, wherein the cooling circuit comprises a thermoelectric cooler. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 4, wherein the thermoelectric cooler is configured to regulate the operational temperature of the plurality of infrared sensor elements to a range of about 5° C. to about 40° C. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 5, wherein the thermoelectric cooler is configured to regulate the operational temperature of the plurality of infrared sensor elements to a range of about 15° C. to about 24° C. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 1, wherein the signal processing circuit comprises any of an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, a central processing unit, and a graphics processing unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of infrared sensor elements are associated with a respective transimpedance amplifier and a respective temperature sensing device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of infrared sensor elements are positioned proximate to a respective temperature sensing element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of infrared sensor elements are bonded to the respective temperature sensing elements. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of thermoelectric coolers, wherein each of the plurality of thermoelectric coolers is positioned to regulate the operational temperature of a subset of at least one of the plurality of infrared sensor elements. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 1, wherein a width of the array is greater than about 10 cm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 1, wherein the array comprises more than 10 infrared sensor elements. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of infrared sensor elements arranged as the array is a first plurality of infrared sensor elements arranged as a first linear array. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 14, comprising a second plurality of infrared sensor elements arranged as a second linear array. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 15, wherein: each infrared sensor element of the first plurality of infrared sensor elements is equally spaced apart from adjacent infrared sensors in the first linear array; and each infrared sensor element of the second plurality of infrared sensor elements is equally spaced apart from adjacent infrared sensors in the second linear array. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 16, wherein the first linear array is provided as a first modular array and the second linear array is provided as a second modular array, wherein when the first modular array is positioned immediately adjacent to and in-line with the second modular array, an outermost infrared sensor element of the first linear array is adjacent to an outermost infrared sensor element of the second linear array, and wherein a distance from the outermost infrared sensor element of the first linear array to the outermost infrared sensor element of the second linear array is equal to the spacing between adjacent infrared sensor elements of both the first linear array and the second linear array. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 17, wherein the first modular array has a width greater than about 50 mm and the second modular array has a width greater than about 50 mm. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 18, wherein the first modular array has a width of about 100 mm and the second modular array has a width of about 100 mm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 1, wherein the detected mid-infrared wavelengths are about 4 microns to about 14 microns. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 1, wherein the mercury-cadmium-telluride (HgCdTe)-based photodiode infrared detector or the InAs-based photodiode infrared detector comprises: a plurality of layers comprising a semi-insulating Gallium arsenide (GaAs), Indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) or Germanium (Ge) substrate in a plan view; a first electrode electrically coupled to a first of the plurality of layers and a second electrode electrically coupled to a second of the plurality of layers; and wherein the detected mid-infrared wavelengths are transmitted through the GaAs, InGaAs or Ge substrate to the first and second electrodes. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The thermal radiation detection system of claim 1, further comprising a first notch filter positioned proximate to a first infrared sensor element of one of the plurality of infrared sensor elements and a second notch filter positioned proximate to a second infrared sensor element of the plurality of infrared sensor elements, wherein the output generated by the first infrared sensor element is responsive to a first set of wavelengths and the output generated by the second infrared sensor element is responsive to a second set of wavelengths, and wherein the output generated by each of the first and second sensor elements are usable to quantify a spectral response, he thermal radiation detection system comprising an imaging system.