Module Design for Enhanced Radiometric Calibration of Thermal Camera
AssigneeWaymo LLC
InventorsShashank Sharma, Matthew Last, Ralph Shepard
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to optical systems, vehicles, and methods for providing improved thermal images. An example optical system includes a housing, a thermal camera disposed inside the housing, and an optical window coupled to an opening of the housing. The optical system also includes a heater assembly. The heater assembly includes a window heater and at least one connector extending from the window heater. The window heater is thermally coupled to an inner surface of the optical window. The window heater is configured to maintain the optical window at a desired temperature.
Claims20
An optical system comprising:
- a housing;
- a thermal camera disposed inside the housing;
- an optical window coupled to an opening of the housing;
- a heater assembly comprising:
- a window heater;
- and
- at least one connector extending from the window heater, wherein the window heater is thermally coupled to an inner surface of the optical window, and wherein the window heater is configured to maintain the optical window at a desired temperature;
- and
- a thermal baffle, wherein the thermal baffle is configured to define a field of view of the thermal camera such that the window heater is not within the field of view of the thermal camera, and wherein the thermal baffle comprises a thermally-insulating material.
A method, comprising:
- receiving, from at least one window temperature sensor, information indicative of a temperature of an optical window that is optically coupled to a thermal camera;
- receiving at least one thermal image from the thermal camera;
- determining a radiometric offset based on the temperature of the optical window;
- and
- adjusting the at least one thermal image based on the radiometric offset so as to provide at least one adjusted thermal image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.