Multiple characteristic optical sensor

A temperature sensor system (200), comprising:

• at least one light source (218) configured to emit at least one optical excitation signal (130);
• at least one temperature sensing device (100) including at least one sensing element (118) in thermal communication with at least one object to be measured, wherein the at least one sensing element (118) is configured to emit at least one optical excitation response signal (120) and the at least one temperature sensing device (100) is configured to emit at least one first combined signal (122) comprising at least a portion of the at least one optical excitation response signal (120) and at least one optical-excitation-independent signal (124);
• at least one first detector (206) configured to receive at least a portion of the at least one first combined signal (122);
• at least one optical path (250) configured to allow the at least one optical excitation signal (130) to propagate to the at least one sensing element (118) and to allow at least a portion of the at least one first combined signal (122) to propagate from the at least one temperature sensing device (100) to the at least one first detector (206);
• and
• at least one controller (228/378),
• wherein the temperature sensor system (200) is configured to:
• (i) determine at least one signal representative of the at least one optical-excitation-independent signal (124) at a first time,
• (ii) determine at least one signal representative of the at least one optical excitation response signal (120) at a second time that is different from the first time, and
• (iii) calculate an object temperature based on at least one of the at least one signal representative of the at least one optical-excitation-independent signal (124) determined at the first time and the at least one signal representative of the at least one optical excitation response signal (120) determined at the second time.

A temperature sensor system (300), comprising:

• at least one light source (218) configured to emit at least one optical excitation signal (130);
• at least one temperature sensing device (100) including at least one sensing element (118) in thermal communication with at least one object to be measured, wherein the at least one sensing element (118) is configured to emit at least one optical excitation response signal (120) and the at least one temperature sensing device (100) is configured to emit at least one first combined signal (122) comprising at least a portion of the at least one optical excitation response signal (120) and at least one optical-excitation-independent signal (124);
• at least one optical analysis module (340) configured to receive at least a portion of the at least one first combined signal (122);
• at least one optical path (250) configured to allow the at least one optical excitation signal (130) to propagate to the at least one sensing element (118) and to allow at least a portion of the at least one first combined signal (122) to propagate from the at least one temperature sensing device (100) to the at least one optical analysis module (340);
• and
• at least one controller (378),
• wherein:
• (i) the at least one optical analysis module (340) is configured to receive the at least one combined signal (122) from the at least one temperature sensing device (100), and to separate the at least one combined signal (122) into a plurality of discrete wavelength components (324) propagating to at least one measurement module (360) comprising a plurality of detectors (366), each of the plurality of detectors (366) corresponding to at least one of the plurality of discrete wavelength components (324) and configured to provide at least one signal representative of the each of the plurality of discrete wavelength components (324) to the at least one controller (378),
• (ii) the at least one controller (378) is configured to separate the at least one signal representative of each of the plurality of discrete wavelength components (324) into at least one signal representative of the at least one optical excitation response signal (120) and at least one signal representative of the at least one optical-excitation-independent signal (124).

A method of measuring an object temperature, comprising:

• providing at least one temperature sensing device (100) having at least one sensing element (118) in thermal communication with an object to be measured, the at least one sensing element (118) configured to emit at least one optical excitation response signal (120) and the at least one temperature sensing device (100) is configured to emit at least one combined signal (122) comprising at least one a portion of the at least one optical excitation response signal (120) and at least one optical-excitation-independent signal (124);
• providing at least one light source (218) configured to emit at least one optical excitation signal (130);
• providing at least one optical path (250) configured to allow the at least one optical excitation response signal (120) to propagate to the at least one sensing element (118);
• providing at least one detector (206) configured to receive the at least one optical excitation response signal (120) and the at least one combined signal (122) from the at least one temperature sensing device (100) and to provide at least one signal representative of the at least one combined signal (122) to at least one controller (228/378), wherein the at least one controller (228/378) is configured to separate the at least one signal representative of the at least one first combined signal (122) into at least one signal representative of the at least one optical excitation response signal (120) and at least one signal representative of the at least one optical-excitation-independent signal (124);
• in an excitation step (402), emitting and directing the at least one optical excitation signal (130) from the at least one light source (218);
• in a decay sampling step (404), sampling the at least one detector (206) during at least one decay sampling period, and storing data representative of the intensity decay rate associated with the at least one combined signal (122);
• in a system measurement step (406), measuring a temperature of the at least one detector (206) and calculating a parameter relating to the dark current of the detector (206),
• in a black-body radiation measurement step (408), sampling the at least one detector and storing data representative of the optical-excitation-independent signal (124);
• in a signal processing step, calculating at least one object temperature based on at least one of the at least one signal representative of the at least one optical excitation response signal (120) and the at least one signal representative of the at least one optical-excitation-independent signal (124).