Device for imaging within the IR range

• US 9,225,913 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Systems AB (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Flir Systems AB (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ekdahl, Bengt
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUNBERG, EDWIN C
• Application Number:
  US13/000,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20110164139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,415 Days
• Field of Search: 250/252.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• 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 device for imaging within the IR range. The imaging device includes a cooled unit having a cooled matrix with detectors and a calibrating device for individual calibration of the detectors of the detector matrix with respect to amplification and/or offset. The calibrating device includes at least one radiator, which is housed in or can be introduced into the imaging device, and a signal-processing unit.

Claims

1. A device for imaging within the IR range, comprising:

a cooled unit comprising a cooled matrix with detectors and a calibrating device for individual calibration of the detectors of the detector matrix with respect to amplification and/or offset, wherein the calibrating device comprises at least one radiator configured to reflect radiation from the cooled unit to a surface of the detector matrix and arranged directly in an optical axis of the imaging device, and a signal-processing unit.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least two radiators configured to reflect radiation from the cooled unit to the surface of the detector matrix.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the radiators is configured with an emissivity less than 1.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the radiators is configured with an emissivity within the range 0.5 to 0.8.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the radiators are configured with a surface which is concave towards the detector matrix.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the radiators is configured substantially as a spherical inner surface.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the radius of the sphere is dimensioned such that the detector matrix sees itself.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least one radiator comprises a surface concave towards the detector matrix and reflecting to the surface of the detector matrix is arranged in front of the cooled unit without intervening optically correcting elements.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least one radiator reflects to the surface of the detector matrix is arranged in front of the cooled unit with intervening optically correcting elements.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the intervening optically correcting elements are constituted by one or more lenses.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one radiator is disposed on a rotatable wheel, which rotatable wheel is arranged to introduce a selected radiator in position in front of the detector matrix by rotation of the wheel.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is an IR camera or IR scanner.