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US RE38,527 E1Granted
Thermal-type infrared imaging device
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorAkio Tanaka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal-type infrared imaging device includes a first thermo-electric converting element (101) for generating an electric signal which corresponds to temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray, a first bipolar transistor (102) having its emitted connected to the first thermo-electric converting element (101), and a second bipolar transistor (104) having its collector connected to the collector of the first bipolar transistor (102). The thermal-type infrared imaging device further includes a resistor (103) connected at one end thereof to a power supply and at the other end to the emitter of the second bipolar transistor (104), and an integration capacitor (105) connected to a connecting point of the respective collectors of the first and second bipolar transistor (102 and 104).
Claims57
A thermal-type infrared imaging device comprising:
- a first thermo-electric converting element for generating an electric signal which corresponds to temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray, said first thermo-electric converting element being coupled to a first power source line;
- a first transistor connected between said first thermo-electric converting element and a node;
- a resistor;
- a second transistor connected between said resistor and said node;
- and
- an integration capacitor connected between said node and a second power source line.
3 more elements
A thermal-type imaging device comprising:
- a plurality of first thermo-electric converting elements arranged in the form of a two-dimensional matrix, each generating an electric signal which corresponds to a temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray, each having a first end and a second end, said second end being coupled to a power source line;
- a plurality of first bipolar transistors each connected between said first thermo-electric converting element and a node;
- a plurality of resistors;
- a plurality of second transistors each connected between said resistor and said node;
- and
- a plurality of integration capacitors arranged in each line or a plurality of lines of said two-dimensional matrix, each integration capacitor having a first electrode connected to said node and a second electrode coupled to said power source line.
3 more elements
A thermal-type imaging device comprising:
- a plurality of first thermo-electric converting elements arranged in the form of a two-dimensional matrix for each pixel, said first thermo-electric converting elements generating an electric signal which corresponds to temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray, each of said first thermo-electric converting elements being coupled to a first power source line;
- a shift register outputting a selecting signal;
- a transistor for selecting at least one of said first thermo-electric converting elements in response to said selecting signal;
- and
- a level converter converting said selecting signal to a level which drives said transistor;
- a plurality of first bipolar transistors each connected between the respective first thermo-electric converting element and a corresponding one of nodes;
- a plurality of second thermo-electric converting elements which are insensitive to incident infrared rays;
- a plurality of second transistors each connected between a corresponding one of said thermo-electric converting elements and a corresponding one of said nodes such that a current flowing through said first transistor is substantially equal to a current flowing through said the respective second transistor when said incident infrared ray is blocked;
- and
- a plurality of integration capacitors arranged in each line or a plurality of lines of said two-dimensional matrix, each integration capacitor coupled between a corresponding one of said nodes and a second power source line.
7 more elements
A thermal-type infrared imaging device comprising:
- a first thermo-electric converting element which generates an electric signal corresponding to a temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray, said first thermo-electric converting element being coupled to a node;
- and
- a constant current source circuit coupled to said node and which supplies a current produced thereof to said first thermo-electric converting element to cancel a current flowing through said first thermo-electric converting element when said incident infrared ray is blocked against said first thermo-electric converting element.
A thermo-type infrared imaging device comprising:
- a first thermo-electric converting element for generating an electric signal which corresponds to a temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray;
- a first transistor connected between said first thermo-electric converting element and a node;
- a resistor;
- a second transistor connected between said resistor and said node;
- and
- an integration capacitor connected to said node, said first transistor being a first bipolar transistor having a first emitter connected to said resistor and a first collector connected to said node and said second transistor being a second bipolar transistor having a second emitter connected to said resistor and a second collector connected to said node,
- wherein values of currents flowing through the respective collectors of said first and second bipolar transistors are nearly equal to each other.
4 more elements
A thermal-type imaging device comprising:
- a plurality of first thermo-electric converting elements arranged in the form of a two-dimensional matrix, each generating an electric signal which corresponds to a temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray, each having a first end and a second end, said second end being coupled to a power source line;
- a plurality of first bipolar transistors each connected between said first thermo-electric converting element and a node;
- a plurality of resistors;
- a plurality of second transistors each connected between said resistor and said node;
- and
- a plurality of integration capacitors arranged in each line or a plurality of lines of said two-dimensional matrix, each integration capacitor having a first electrode connected to said node and a second electrode coupled to said power source line,
- wherein a ramp waveform generator is connected to a control electrode of said second transistor.
4 more elements
A thermal-type infrared imaging device comprising:
- a first thermo-electric converting element for generating an electric signal which corresponds to temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray;
- a first Field Effect Transistor (FET) having a first source connected to said first thermo-electric converting element and a first drain considered to a node;
- a resistor;
- a second FET having a second source connected to said resistor and a second drain connected to said node;
- and
- an integration capacitor connected to said node.
3 more elements
A thermal-type imaging device comprising:
- a plurality of first thermo-electric converting elements arranged in the form of a two-dimensional matrix, each generating an electric signal which corresponds to a temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray;
- a plurality of first FETs each having a first source connected to said first thermo-electric converting element and a first drain connected to a node;
- a plurality of resistors;
- a plurality of second FETs each having a second source connected to one of said resistors and a second drain connected to said node;
- and
- a plurality of integration capacitors arranged in each line or a plurality of lines of said two-dimensional matrix, each integration capacitor having a first electrode connected to said node.
3 more elements
A thermal-type infrared imaging device comprising:
- a first thermo-electric converting element for generating an electric signal which corresponds to a temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray;
- a first bipolar transistor having a first emitter connected to said first thermo-electric converting element and a first collector connected to a node;
- a resistor;
- a second bipolar transistor having a second emitter connected to resistor and a second collector connected to said node;
- and
- an integration capacitor connected to said node.
3 more elements
The device as claimed in claim 39, wherein said first thermo-electric converting element is coupled to a first power source line.
A thermal-type imaging device comprising:
- a plurality of first thermo-electric converting elements arranged in the form of a two-dimensional matrix, each generating an electrical signal which corresponds to temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray;
- a plurality of first bipolar transistors each having an emitter connected to said first thermo-electric converting element having a collector connected to a node;
- a plurality of resistors;
- a plurality of second bipolar transistors each having an emitter connected to resistor and having a collector connected to said node;
- and
- a plurality of integration capacitors arranged in each line or a plurality of lines of said two-dimensional matrix, each integration capacitor having a first electrode connected to said node.
3 more elements
A thermal-type infrared imaging device comprising:
- a first thermo-electric converting element for generating an electric signal which corresponds to temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray;
- a first FET that supplies a voltage to said first thermo-electric converting element and a current decided by said voltage and resistance of said element to a node;
- a resistor;
- a second FET that supplies a voltage to said resistor and a current decided by said voltage and resistance of said resistor to said node;
- and
- an integration capacitor connected to said node.
3 more elements
A thermal-type imaging device comprising:
- a plurality of first thermo-electric converting elements arranged in the form of a two-dimensional matrix, each generating an electric signal which corresponds to a temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray;
- a plurality of first FETs each supplying a voltage to said first thermo-electric converting element and a current decided by said voltage and resistance of said element to a node;
- a plurality of resistors;
- a plurality of second FETs each supplying a voltage to said resistor and a current decided by said voltage and resistance of said resistor to said node;
- and
- a plurality of integration capacitors arranged in each line or a plurality of lines of said two-dimensional matrix, each integration capacitor having a first electrode connected to said node.
3 more elements
A thermal-type infrared imaging device comprising:
- a first thermo-electric converting element for generating an electric signal which corresponds to temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray;
- a first bipolar transistor that supplies a voltage to said first thermo-electric converting element and a current decided by said voltage and resistance of said element to a node;
- a resistor;
- a second bipolar transistor that supplies a voltage to said resistor and a current decided by said voltage and resistance of said resistor to said node;
- and
- an integration capacitor connected to said node.
3 more elements
A thermal-type imaging device comprising:
- a plurality of first thermo-electric converting elements arranged in the form of a two-dimensional matrix, each generating an electric signal which correspondence to a temperature determined according to heat generated by absorbing an incident infrared ray;
- a plurality of first bipolar transistors each supplying a voltage to said first thermo-electric converting element and a current decided by said voltage and resistance of said element to a node;
- a plurality of resistors;
- a plurality of second bipolar transistors each supplying a voltage to said resistor and each supplying said node with a current decided by said voltage and a resistance of said resistor;
- and
- a plurality of integration capacitors arranged in each line or a plurality of lines of said two-dimensional matrix, each integration capacitor having a first electrode connected to said node.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.