Infrared camera electronic architectures

• US 7,470,902 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2006
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Parrish, William J., Araki, Leonard S., Kraemer, Douglas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eley; Jessica L
• Application Number:
  US11/384,588
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 250/330
• US Class Current: 250/330
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/22 Electrical features thereof
• 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

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, an infrared camera includes an infrared detector providing infrared data and a programmable logic device providing timing and control signals to the infrared detector and processing the infrared data to provide an output signal based on the infrared data. Additional memory devices, if present, may be controlled by the programmable logic device, which manages the flow of information for the memory devices.

Claims

1. An infrared camera comprising:

an infrared detector adapted to provide infrared data;

a programmable logic device, coupled to the infrared detector, adapted to provide timing and control signals to the infrared detector and process the infrared data to provide an output signal based on the infrared data;

a first volatile memory adapted to function as a video buffer and provide a temporary storage for the programmable logic device; and

a first non-volatile memory adapted to store configuration data for the programmable logic device, wherein the programmable logic device is further adapted to provide a memory controller function comprising a cache-based distributed controller function for the infrared camera to provide a cache-based system using first-in-first-out memory configured within the programmable logic device to manage data flow between the first volatile memory, the first non-volatile memory, and the programmable logic device.

2. The infrared camera of claim 1, wherein the first non-volatile memory and the first volatile memory are embedded within the programmable logic device.

3. The infrared camera of claim 1, wherein the programmable logic device is further adapted to provide an embedded processor to process the infrared data.

4. The infrared camera of claim 3, wherein the first non-volatile memory is further adapted to store processor routines executed by the embedded processor.

5. The infrared camera of claim 1, wherein the processing of the infrared data by the programmable logic device comprises performing non-uniformity correction on the infrared data and replacing bad pixel data within the infrared data.

6. The infrared camera of claim 5, wherein the processing of the infrared data by the programmable logic device further comprises performing automatic gain control and transforming the infrared data to provide composite video as the output signal.

7. The infrared camera of claim 1, wherein the output signal comprises a composite video signal, and the programmable logic device further provides a digital output signal based on the infrared data.

8. The infrared camera of claim 1, further comprising a video digital-to-analog converter adapted to convert the output signal to a composite video signal.

9. The infrared camera of claim 1, wherein the infrared camera is incorporated into a vehicle.

10. An infrared camera comprising:

means responsive to infrared energy for providing infrared data;

a programmable logic device adapted to control the providing means and process the infrared data to provide an output signal based on the infrared data, wherein the programmable logic device is further adapted to provide an embedded processor for processing the infrared data;

a first means for storing configuration data for the programmable logic device and calibration data for the providing means; and

a second means for storing the infrared data, wherein the programmable logic device manages the transfer of data between the first storing means, the second storing means, and the programmable logic device by providing a cache-based distributed memory controller which utilizes first-in-first-out memory configured within the programmable logic device.

11. The infrared camera of claim 10, further comprising means for converting the output signal from a digital to an analog signal.

12. The infrared camera of claim 10, wherein the processing of the infrared data by the programmable logic device comprises performing non-uniformity correction on the infrared data, replacing bad pixel data within the infrared data, and transforming the infrared data from X-bit to Y-bit infrared data, wherein Y is less than X.

13. The infrared camera of claim 10, wherein the programmable logic device is further adapted to provide temperature compensation data to the providing means to calibrate the providing means, and wherein the first storing means stores processor routines executed by the embedded processor.

14. The infrared camera of claim 10, wherein the output signal comprises a composite video signal, and the programmable logic device further provides a digital output signal based on the infrared data.

15. The infrared camera of claim 10, wherein the infrared camera forms a subsystem within a vehicle.

16. A method of providing infrared images, the method comprising:

converting received infrared energy to infrared data;

controlling the converting operation by a programmable logic device;

processing the infrared data by the programmable logic device;

storing in a non-volatile memory configuration data and processor routines for the programmable logic device and calibration data for the converting operation; and

providing volatile memory for temporary storage and video buffering, wherein the programmable logic device provides memory controller functionality to manage the transfer of information between the volatile memory, the non-volatile memory, and the programmable logic device,

wherein the memory controller functionality is a cache-based distributed controller function which utilizes first-in-first-out memory configured within the programmable logic device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the controlling operation further comprises the programmable logic device providing temperature compensation information stored in the non-volatile memory for the converting operation.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the processing operation further comprises performing non-uniformity correction on the infrared data, replacing bad pixel data within the infrared data, and transforming the infrared data from X-bit to Y-bit infrared data, wherein Y is less than X.