Infrared camera system housing with metalized surface

• US 9,473,681 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2013
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hoelter, Theodore R., Kostrzewa, Joseph, Boulanger, Pierre, Sharp, Barbara, Kurth, Eric A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pontius, James
• Application Number:
  US13/966,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20130329054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• 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 housing for an infrared camera module may be implemented with a substantially non-metal cover configured to substantially or completely enclose various components of an infrared imaging device. A metal layer may be disposed on various interior and/or exterior surfaces of the cover. Such implementations may be used to reduce the effects of various environmental conditions which may otherwise adversely affect the performance of the infrared imaging device. In addition, one or more conductive traces may be built into the housing and/or on interior surfaces of the housing to facilitate the passing of signals from components of the infrared imaging device such as infrared sensors, read out circuitry, a temperature measurement component, and/or other components. One or more fiducial markers may be provided to align various components of the infrared camera module during manufacture.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing adapted to receive an infrared sensor assembly comprising a plurality of infrared sensors configured in a focal plane array to capture thermal images of a target scene, the housing comprising;

a cover comprising a majority of non-metal material;

a metal layer with disposed on a majority of interior and/or exterior surfaces of the cover; and

wherein the metal layer exhibits a higher thermal conductivity than the cover which reduces non-uniform heating of the infrared sensor assembly, wherein the metal layer is adapted to attenuate electromagnetic interference emitted by the infrared sensor assembly and shield the infrared sensor assembly from electromagnetic interference incident on the cover.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metal layer is disposed on a majority of the interior and/or exterior surfaces of the cover, wherein the cover is comprised of a majority of non-metal material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metal layer exhibits a lower emissivity than the cover which reduces effects of out-of-field radiation on image frames captured by the infrared sensor assembly, wherein the cover exhibits an emissivity in a range of 0.8 to 0.95, wherein the metal layer exhibits an emissivity in a range of 0.02 to 0.11.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metal layer comprises:

a copper sublayer having a thickness in a range of 4 μ

m to 16 μ

m;

a nickel sublayer having a thickness in a range of 2.5 μ

m to 10.5 m; and

a gold sublayer having a thickness in a range of 0.05 μ

m to 0.15 μ

m.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least one fiducial marker on a surface of the cover and adapted to be used to align the housing with the infrared sensor assembly.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a conductive trace electrically isolated from the metal layer, wherein the conductive trace is at least partially disposed on a surface of the cover, wherein the conductive trace is adapted to electrically connect to an external component.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the conductive trace comprises a portion of the metal layer electrically isolated from other portions of the metal layer.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the housing is a molded interconnect device (MID), wherein the conductive trace is at least partially within at least one wall of the housing.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the conductive trace is adapted to provide an electrical connection from an interior cavity enclosed by the housing to an exterior of the housing, the apparatus further comprising a temperature measurement component electrically connected to the conductive trace and adapted to be used to determine a temperature associated with the housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the conductive trace comprises at least one fiducial marker adapted to be used to align the housing with the infrared sensor assembly.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the fiducial marker comprises at least one of an L-shaped feature and/or a chamfered corner.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is an infrared camera module comprising:

the housing;

a lens barrel installed in the housing;

the infrared sensor assembly;

the external device implemented as a shutter; and

a base, wherein the housing is mounted on the base and the conductive trace is in electrical contact with the base, wherein the conductive trace is adapted to pass an electrical signal between the shutter and the base.

13. A method comprising:

providing a cover comprising a majority of non-metal material;

metalizing a majority of interior and/or exterior surfaces of the cover to provide a metal layer;

wherein the cover and the metal layer comprise a housing;

wherein the housing is adapted to receive an infrared sensor assembly comprising a plurality of infrared sensors configured in a focal plane array to capture thermal images of a target scene; and

wherein the metal layer exhibits a higher thermal conductivity than the cover which reduces non-uniform heating of the infrared sensor assembly when the infrared sensor assembly is enclosed by the housing, wherein the metal layer is adapted to attenuate electromagnetic interference emitted by the infrared sensor assembly and shield the infrared sensor assembly from electromagnetic interference incident on the cover when the infrared sensor assembly is enclosed by the housing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the metal layer is disposed on a majority of the interior and/or exterior surfaces of the cover, wherein the cover is comprised of a majority of non-metal material.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the metal layer exhibits a lower emissivity than the cover which reduces effects of out-of-field radiation on image frames captured by the infrared sensor assembly when the infrared sensor assembly is enclosed by the housing, wherein the cover exhibits an emissivity in a range of 0.8 to 0.95, wherein the metal layer exhibits an emissivity in a range of 0.02 to 0.11.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the metalizing comprises:

providing a copper sublayer having a thickness in a range of 4 μ

m to 16 μ

m;

providing a nickel sublayer having a thickness in a range of 2.5 μ

m to 10.5 μ

m; and

providing a gold sublayer having a thickness in a range of 0.05 μ

m to 0.15 μ

m.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing at least one fiducial marker on a surface of the cover; and

aligning the housing with the infrared sensor assembly using the fiducial marker.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a conductive trace electrically isolated from the metal layer, wherein the conductive trace is at least partially disposed on a surface of the cover, wherein the conductive trace is adapted to electrically connect to an external component.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the conductive trace comprises a portion of the metal layer, wherein the providing the conductive trace comprises electrically isolating the conductive trace from other portions of the metal layer.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming the housing as a molded interconnect device (MID), wherein the forming comprises providing the conductive trace at least partially within at least one wall of the housing.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the conductive trace provides an electrical connection from an interior cavity enclosed by the housing to an exterior of the housing, the method further comprising electrically connecting a temperature measurement component to the conductive trace, wherein the temperature measurement component is adapted to be used to determine a temperature associated with the housing.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the conductive trace comprises at least one fiducial marker adapted to be used to align the housing with the infrared sensor assembly.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the fiducial marker comprises at least one of an L-shaped feature and/or a chamfered corner.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising assembling an infrared camera module, the assembling comprising:

screwing a lens barrel into the housing;

aligning the housing with the infrared sensor assembly using the fiducial marker;

mounting the housing on a base such that the housing receives the infrared sensor assembly; and

electrically connecting a shutter to the conductive trace, wherein the conductive trace is adapted to pass an electrical signal between the shutter and the base.