Electronic chopping

• US 6,028,312 A
• Filed: 07/19/1996
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: McCardel, William L., Wadsworth, Mark V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Westin, Edward P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANIG, RICHARD E
• Application Number:
  US08/684,654
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 250/351, 250/350, 250/338.1, 250/338.3, 250/338.4, 356/217, 327/124, 327/439
• US Class Current: 250/351
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/24 Use of specially adapted circuits, e.g. bridge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/23 from thermal infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/67 applied to fixed-pattern noise, e.g. non-uniformity of response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/673 by using reference sources
• 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

A sensor with radiation detectors with two or more photoconductor elements and bias polarity switching of one element to emulate mechanical chopping of input radiation. This electronic chopping permits higher chopping frequencies than mechanical chopping for bolometers because the scene settling time does not limit electronic chopping. The detectors may be within a single vacuum integrated circuit package with separate narrow passband filters for chemical spectral analysis.

Claims

1. A radiation detector, comprising:

(a) a first photoconductor biased by a first voltage source, said first photoconductor positioned to receive input radiation; and

(b) a second photoconductor biased by a second voltage source, said second photoconductor positioned to receive input radiation, said first and second photocondutors connected in parallel to a signal detector;

(c) wherein said first voltage source provides a constant voltage and said second voltage source provides a voltage which periodically alternates polarity and thereby emulates chopping of radiation to said photoconductors by alternatingly adding and canceling the currents from said first and second photoconductors.

2. The radiation detector of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) a third resistor biased by a third voltage source; and

(b) a fourth resistor biased by a fourth voltage source, said third and fourth resistors connected in parallel with said first and second photoconductors to said signal detector;

(c) wherein said third voltage source provides a constant voltage and said fourth voltage source provides a voltage which alternates polarity in correspondence to said second voltage source.

3. The radiation detector of claim 2, wherein:

(a) said third and fourth resistors are photoconductors shielded from said input radiation.

4. A radiation detector array, comprising:

(a) an array of pixels, each of said pixels including;

a first photoconductor biased by a first voltage source, said first photoconductor positioned to receive input radiation; and

a second photoconductor biased by a second voltage source, said second photoconductor positioned to receive input radiation, said first and second photocondutors connected in parallel to a signal detector;

wherein said first voltage source provides a constant voltage and said second voltage source provides a voltage which periodically alternates polarity and thereby emulates chopping of radiation to said photoconductors by alternatingly adding and canceling the currents from said first and second photoconductors; and

(b) circuitry coupling said pixels.