US 6,144,031 A · Infrared video camera system with uncooled focal plane array and radiation shield

Abstract

An infrared video camera system comprises an uncooled infrared sensor mounted and a thermally conductive thin walled radiation shield for shielding radiation from reaching an active surface of the uncooled infrared sensor. A TEC maintains the sensor active surface and the radiation shield at a substantially constant temperature. The uncooled infrared sensor and radiation shield are further housed in a hollow thermally conductive vacuum cover which is vacuum sealed with a base assembly and includes a vacuum sealed infrared transparent window in an aperture at a top end of the vacuum cover for allowing infrared radiation to reach the active surface and for forming a vacuum chamber enclosing the infrared sensor and radiation shield. A relay optical cell mounted to a camera body comprises at least one optical element for relaying an image formed at its entrance onto the active surface. An imaging optical assembly is interchangeably mounted to the relay optical cell and comprises at least one optical element for imaging an infrared scene to be imaged onto the entrance aperture of the relay cell. A plurality of different field of view imaging optical assemblies are interchangeably mounted without substantially changing the field of view of the sensor active surface.

Claims35

Dependent claims

An uncooled infrared sensor assembly comprising:

(a) an uncooled infrared sensor having an active surface for providing an analog video signal in response to infrared radiation falling thereon;
(b) a radiation shielding chamber formed to surround the uncooled infrared sensor for shielding radiation from said active surface, the chamber providing continuous walls for shielding the sensor and a shield aperture for defining a field of view of said active surface thereby limiting the radiation entering the chamber to a prescribed solid cone angle defined by the shield aperture:
and,
(c) wherein the chamber walls provide a substantially uniform non-varying infrared radiation scene to the active surface for all angles not included in the prescribed solid cone angle.

1 more element

An infrared video camera system, comprising

(a) a camera body for housing an electronics module;
(b) an uncooled infrared sensor having an active surface for providing an analog video signal in response to infrared radiation falling thereon, the analog video signal being communicated to the electronics module for signal processing thereby;
(c) a radiation shielding chamber formed to surround the uncooled infrared sensor for shielding radiation from said active surface, the shielding chamber providing continuous walls for shielding the sensor and a shield aperture for defining a field of view of said active surface thereby limiting the radiation entering the chamber to a prescribed solid cone angle defined by the shield aperture;
and,
(d) wherein the chamber walls provide a substantially uniform non-varving infrared radiation scene to the active surface for all angles not included in the prescribed solid cone angle.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Infrared video camera system with uncooled focal plane array and radiation shield

Life of this patent

Infrared video camera system with uncooled focal plane array and radiation shield

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims35