Mobile gas and chemical imaging camera

• US 10,375,327 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rebellion Photonics, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rebellion Photonics, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Kester, Robert Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Taningco, Marcus H
• Application Number:
  US15/789,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20180191967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/104 Monochromatic plural sources
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/1217 Indexed discrete filters or choppers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/1221 Mounting; Adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/123 Indexed discrete filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/1239 and separate detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/2826 Multispectral imaging, e.g. filter imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0208 using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0229 using masks, aperture plates, spatial light modulators or spatial filters, e.g. reflective filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0232 using shutters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0256 Compact construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0262 Constructional arrangements for removing stray light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0286 Constructional arrangements for compensating for fluctuations caused by temperature, humidity or pressure, or using cooling or temperature stabilization of parts of the device; Controlling the atmosphere inside a spectrometer, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0289 Field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a spectrometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of measurement area; Position tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0297 Constructional arrangements for removing other types of optical noise or for performing calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/28 Investigating the spectrum using colour filters G01J3/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0014 for sensing the radiation from gases, flames
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/026 : Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/047 : Mobile mounting; Scanning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/061 : by controlling the temperature of the apparatus or parts thereof, e.g. using cooling means or thermostats
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/07 : Arrangements for adjusting the solid angle of collected radiation, e.g. adjusting or orienting field of view, tracking position or encoding angular position optical collimating elements G01J5/0806
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0802 : Optical filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08021 : Notch filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0804 : Shutters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0806 : Focusing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or concave mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3504 : for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 : in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 : for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 : for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

In one embodiment, an infrared (IR) imaging system for determining a concentration of a target species in an object is disclosed. The imaging system can include an optical system including an optical focal plane array (FPA) unit. The optical system can have components defining at least two optical channels thereof, said at least two optical channels being spatially and spectrally different from one another. Each of the at least two optical channels can be positioned to transfer IR radiation incident on the optical system towards the optical FPA. The system can include a processing unit containing a processor that can be configured to acquire multispectral optical data representing said target species from the IR radiation received at the optical FPA. Said optical system and said processing unit can be contained together in a data acquisition and processing module configured to be worn or carried by a person.

Claims

1. An infrared (IR) imaging system comprising:

an optical detector having a total active imaging area comprising pixels capable of sensing IR light;

a plurality of spatially and spectrally distinct optical channels spaced from the optical detector along an optical axis, the plurality of optical channels arranged to transfer IR radiation from an object to the optical detector, where IR light input into the optical channels is directed by the optical channels onto the optical detector; and

processing electronics configured to process image data from the optical detector representative of the IR radiation to detect a target species,

wherein the processing electronics processes image data from a plurality of usable portions of the total active imaging area corresponding to respective optical channels of the plurality of optical channels, said usable portions corresponding to the respective plurality of optical channels being uniformly sized or uniformly shaped, wherein the usable portions of the total active imaging area comprise portions of the total active imaging area that receive light from only one optical channel and wherein the usable portions of the total active imaging area comprise approximately square regions.

2. The infrared imaging system of claim 1, wherein the usable portions of the total active imaging area comprise approximately square regions having widths in the range of 3 mm to 4 mm.

3. The infrared imaging system of claim 2, wherein the usable portions of the total active imaging area are surrounded by respective overlapping regions that receive light from at least two optical channels.

4. The infrared imaging system of claim 1, wherein the usable portions of the total active imaging area comprise square regions having heights in the range of 3 mm to 4 mm.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the useable portions comprise square regions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical detector comprises an infrared focal plane array (FPA).