Infrared camera for gas detection
First Claim
1. An infrared (“
- IR”
) camera comprising;
an optical system configured to receive incoming radiation in an IR wavelength range from an imaged area;
a first thermal IR detector;
a second thermal IR detector;
a first beamsplitter configured to transmit a first wavelength spectrum and reflect a second wavelength spectrum,wherein the incoming radiation received through the optical system is split by the first beamsplitter into a first beam having the first wavelength spectrum that is transmitted through the first beamsplitter and a second beam having the second wavelength spectrum that is reflected from the first beamsplitter and is of a different wavelength spectrum than the first wavelength spectrum,wherein the first and second beam represent a same scene of the imaged area,wherein the first thermal IR detector is configured to receive the first beam and detect a first image of the imaged area based on the first beam, andwherein the second thermal IR detector is configured to receive the second beam and detect a second image of the imaged area based on the second beam;
a processor operable to calculate properties of the imaged area based on a relationship of the first and the second images; and
a display, coupled to the processor, for viewing by a user of the camera,wherein the camera is operable to detect a presence of a gas in the imaged area by comparing the second image to the first image to obtain a gas image indicating the presence of the gas in the image area, said gas having a particular gas wavelength range,wherein the first beamsplitter is configured to split the incoming radiation so that the relationship between the gas wavelength range and the incoming IR wavelength range in the first beam is different from the relationship between the gas wavelength range and the incoming IR wavelength range in the second beam, andwherein the camera is configured to present the obtained gas image on the display for viewing by the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An IR camera is disclosed, comprising two IR detectors for detecting a first and a second image of the imaged area. A beamsplitter is operable to split the incoming radiation into a first beam comprising a first wavelength spectrum and a second beam comprising a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum. The first beam is received at the first IR detector and the second beam is received at the second IR detector. A processor is operable to calculate properties of the imaged area based on the first and the second image in relationship to each other. The information obtained may be used, for example, to detect the presence or identity of a gas or to determine the material properties of an imaged object.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An infrared (“
- IR”
) camera comprising;an optical system configured to receive incoming radiation in an IR wavelength range from an imaged area; a first thermal IR detector; a second thermal IR detector; a first beamsplitter configured to transmit a first wavelength spectrum and reflect a second wavelength spectrum, wherein the incoming radiation received through the optical system is split by the first beamsplitter into a first beam having the first wavelength spectrum that is transmitted through the first beamsplitter and a second beam having the second wavelength spectrum that is reflected from the first beamsplitter and is of a different wavelength spectrum than the first wavelength spectrum, wherein the first and second beam represent a same scene of the imaged area, wherein the first thermal IR detector is configured to receive the first beam and detect a first image of the imaged area based on the first beam, and wherein the second thermal IR detector is configured to receive the second beam and detect a second image of the imaged area based on the second beam; a processor operable to calculate properties of the imaged area based on a relationship of the first and the second images; and a display, coupled to the processor, for viewing by a user of the camera, wherein the camera is operable to detect a presence of a gas in the imaged area by comparing the second image to the first image to obtain a gas image indicating the presence of the gas in the image area, said gas having a particular gas wavelength range, wherein the first beamsplitter is configured to split the incoming radiation so that the relationship between the gas wavelength range and the incoming IR wavelength range in the first beam is different from the relationship between the gas wavelength range and the incoming IR wavelength range in the second beam, and wherein the camera is configured to present the obtained gas image on the display for viewing by the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- IR”
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11. A method of using an infrared (“
- IR”
) camera, the method comprising;receiving, through an optical system of the IR camera, incoming radiation in an IR wavelength range from an imaged area; splitting the incoming radiation with a first beamsplitter into a first beam and a second beam based on a wavelength range of a gas to detect, by transmitting a first wavelength spectrum of the incoming radiation through the first beamsplitter as the first beam and by reflecting a second wavelength spectrum of the incoming radiation with the first beamsplitter as the second beam, wherein the first wavelength spectrum is of a different wavelength spectrum than the second wavelength spectrum, and wherein the first and the second beams represent a same scene of the imaged area; receiving the first beam at first thermal IR detector of the IR camera to detect a first image; receiving the second beam at a second thermal IR detector of the TR camera to detect a second image; and performing calculations regarding the imaged area based on a relationship between the first and second images to detect a presence of a gas in the imaged area by comparing the second image to the first image to obtain a gas image indicating the presence of the gas in the imaged area; and displaying the obtained gas image. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- IR”
Specification