MULTIPLE VIEW INFRARED IMAGING SYSTEM

• US 20080099683A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Kirk, Anderson, Shane M., Schmidt, Matthew F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/353
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/026 Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/064 Ambient temperature sensor; Housing temperature sensor; Constructional details thereof
• 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 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0806 Focusing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or concave mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• 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

An infrared imaging system used for providing images from a plurality of views. The multiple view infrared imaging system includes a plurality of lens and infrared focal plane array (FPA) pairings, wherein each pairing can be used to provide an image and/or sample scene data of a distinct view. A single set of processing circuitry and a single set of one or more output elements may be utilized to provide such images. A multi-input switch may be utilized in combination with the single set of processing circuitry and output elements to provide images from any of the lens and FPA pairings based on the positioning of the switch.

Claims

1. An infrared imaging system comprising:

a plurality of lenses, each of the lenses configured to focus on a view, each of the lenses configured to receive image information in the form of infrared energy there through from the corresponding view;

a plurality of infrared focal plane arrays, the arrays each paired with one of the plurality of lenses, each of the lenses adapted to direct the infrared energy from the corresponding view onto its paired array; and

processing circuitry that is selectively connectable to any one of the arrays, the circuitry adapted to process signals stemming from the one array.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry comprises one or more of a controller and a processor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is a field-programmable gate array/complex programmable logic device controller including a timing control portion.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is one or more of a digital signal processor and a computer processing unit.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more output elements connected to the processing circuitry.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the output elements comprises one or more of a display and memory, and wherein the display is adapted to create an image from output of the processing circuitry and the memory is adapted for storing the output of the processing circuitry.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the display has multi-view functionality, wherein the display is configured for maintaining images thereon from each of the views focused on by the lenses.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switching device, wherein the switching device is located between the processing circuitry and the arrays, and wherein the device is electrically connected to the processing circuitry and selectively connectable to any one of the arrays.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising sets of conditioning circuitry, wherein each set of conditioning circuitry is connected to one of the arrays, and wherein the switching device is selectively connectable to any one of the arrays via the corresponding conditioning circuitry set.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each conditioning circuitry set comprises one or more of a bias generator and a pre-amplifier/integrator.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the switching device is a multiplexor.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry comprises a controller with timing control, wherein the controller is electrically connected to the switching device, and wherein the timing control is adapted to regulate a sampling rate of the switching device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the sampling rate of the switching device enables sampling of one or more of the lens and array pairings to be maintained over a period of time, and wherein the sampling rate provides sufficient sampling of the one or more lens and array pairings so as to maintain optical quality of the images created therefrom.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the optical quality involves adequate provision of continuous video display of the images.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a user interface electrically connected to the processing circuitry, wherein the user interface includes functionality by which a user can select the one or more lens and array pairings to be sampled.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more housings, wherein the processing circuitry is incorporated within one of the housings.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the lens and array pairings are incorporated on or within the one housing.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the lens and array pairings are incorporated on or within further housings not of the one housing.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one electrical bus runs between the one housing and the further housings.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the arrays comprise microbolometer arrays.

21. An infrared imaging system comprising:

a plurality of lenses, each of the lenses configured to focus on a view, each of the lenses configured to receive image information in the form of infrared energy there through from the corresponding view;

a plurality of infrared focal plane arrays, the arrays each paired with one of the plurality of lenses, each of the lenses adapted to direct the infrared energy from the corresponding view onto its paired array; and

one or more output elements that are selectively connectable to any one of the arrays, the output elements comprising one or more of a display and memory, the display adapted to create an image from the signals stemming from the one array, the memory adapted for storing the signals stemming from the one array.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the display has multi-view functionality, wherein the display is configured for maintaining images thereon from each of the views focused on by the lenses.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a switching device, wherein the switching device is located between the one or more output elements and the arrays, and wherein the device is electrically connected to the output elements and selectively connectable to any one of the arrays.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising sets of conditioning circuitry, wherein each set of conditioning circuitry is connected to one of the arrays, and wherein the switching device is selectively connectable to any one of the arrays via the corresponding conditioning circuitry set.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein each conditioning circuitry set comprises one or more of a bias generator and a pre-amplifier/integrator.

26. The system of claim 21, further comprising processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is connected between the one or more output elements and the switching device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the processing circuitry comprises one or more of a controller and a processor.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the processing circuitry comprises a controller with timing control, wherein the controller is electrically connected to the switching device, and wherein the timing control is adapted to regulate a sampling rate of the switching device.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the sampling rate of the switching device enables sampling of one or more of the lens and array pairings to be maintained over a period of time, and wherein the sampling rate provides sufficient sampling of the one or more lens and array pairings so as to maintain optical quality of the images created therefrom.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the optical quality involves adequate provision of continuous video display of the images.

31. The system of claim 29, further comprising a user interface electrically connected to the processing circuitry, wherein the user interface includes functionality by which a user can select the one or more lens and array pairings to be sampled.

32. The system of claim 21, further comprising one or more housings, wherein the processing circuitry is incorporated within one of the housings.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein each of the lens and array pairings are incorporated on or within the one housing.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein each of the lens and array pairings are incorporated on or within further housings not of the one housing.

35. The system of claim 21, wherein the arrays comprise microbolometer arrays.