Miniature infrared line-scanning imager

An infrared imager line-scanning imager including a scanner portion comprising:

• a base housing movably carrying a scanning platform,
• an optical unit carried by said scanning platform for receiving infrared radiation from a distant scene and focusing said infrared radiation upon an infrared detector;
• an infrared detector module carried upon said scanning platform and including said infrared detector which has plural photoconductive infrared detector elements linearly arrayed, each one of said plural detector element providing a corresponding one of a plurality of electrical signals indicative of infrared radiation flux falling on the corresponding detector element, a multiplexing circuit sequentially connecting selected ones of said plurality of electrical signals to a single output conductor, a multi-stage thermoelectric cooler in heat-transfer relation with and cooling each of said infrared detector and said multiplexing circuit;
• and a thermal housing enclosing all of:
• said infrared detector, said multiplexing circuit, and said thermoelectric cooler;
• and said thermal housing providing for conducting electrical power into said housing and for transfer of heat and said electrical signals out of said housing;
• an electronics/optical assembly means carried upon said scanner platform for receiving said electrical signals from said infrared detector of said detector module, for converting said electrical signals into an optically-encoded serial digital signal, and for beaming said optically-encoded signal off of said movable scanning platform.

An infrared scanning imager comprising:

• a moving scanning platform, an infrared detector carried upon said scanning platform and responsive to infrared radiation to provide an electrical image signal, a telescopic optical unit carried upon said scanning platform for delivering infrared radiation from ascene to said infrared detector, electro-optic means carried upon said scanning platform for receiving for receiving said electrical image signal and for providing in response thereto an encoded optical light beam image signal, and optical coupling means for beaming said light beam image signal off of said moving scanning platform to a receiver carried on a non-moving base;
• wherein said scanning platform is configured as an elongate barrel-like turret having a length, and rotating about an axis parallel with said length;
• wherein said telescopic optical unit is oriented along the length of said barrel-like turret;
• and wherein said scanner includes a pair of said detectors one disposed at each opposite end of said barrel-like turret, and a pair of said telescopic optical units oppositely disposed along the length of said barrel-like turret.

A method of providing a visible image replicating a scene having elements which are radiating or reflecting invisible infrared radiation, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an infrared detector responsive to infrared radiation to provide an electrical image signal;
• providing an optical portion directing infrared radiation from said scene onto said detector to provide from said detector a first electrical image signal containing image information from said scene;
• converting said electrical image signal to an optical light beam image signal which is digitally encoded with a serial bit stream carrying said image information from said scene;
• beaming said optical light beam image signal axially on an axis of rotation across an interface between a rotating light-beam transmitter and a non-rotating light-beam receiver therefor;
• using said optical light beam receiver to convert said optical light beam signal to a second electrical image signal containing image information from said scene;
• and using said second electrical signal to produce an image replicative of said scene,