Infrared camera system and method
First Claim
1. An infrared camera system comprising:
- an infrared illumination source operable to transmit infrared optical energy in the direction of a subject when an ambient infrared light level is determined to be insufficient;
a lens configured to collect optical energy conveyed from the subject;
a filter providing a plurality of pass bands associated with different center wavelengths within an infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, said filter being operable to pass filter optical energy collected by said lens in accordance with any selected one of its plurality of pass bands;
an optical detector operable to generate an electrical signal representing an image of the subject in response to optical energy collected by said lens, pass filtered by said filter in accordance with a desired pass band selectable from among the plurality of pass bands, and subsequently incident on said optical detector;
a control device operable to select the desired pass band from among the plurality of pass bands provided by said filter, wherein said control device comprises a microprocessor and wherein said microprocessor selects the desired pass band based on at least one of an ambient visible light level and an ambient infrared light level;
a visible light sensor operable to measure the ambient visible light level; and
an infrared light sensor operable to measure the ambient infrared light level;
wherein said infrared illumination source is operated to transmit infrared optical energy in the direction of the subject when the ambient infrared light level measured by said infrared light sensor is determined by said microprocessor to be insufficient.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Infrared (IR) camera systems for and a method of obtaining infrared images of target subjects are provided. In one embodiment, an IR camera system (10) includes a lens (12), a number of IR pass filters (14), an optical detector (16), a processor (18) mounted on a circuit board (20), a distance sensor (22), a visible light sensor (24), an IR light sensor (26), an IR illuminator (28), and a number of video outputs (30), all of which may be disposed within an appropriately configured housing (32). The filters (14) are mounted on a juke-box like rack system (34) also included within the housing (32). The processor (18) determines which pass filter is needed in order to optimize the image and sends an electronic signal to the rack system (34) directing the rack system (34) to move the appropriate filter (14) into the optical pathway between the lens (12) and the optical detector (16) and pull all of the other IR filters (14) out of the optical pathway between the lens (12) and the optical detector (16).
105 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An infrared camera system comprising:
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an infrared illumination source operable to transmit infrared optical energy in the direction of a subject when an ambient infrared light level is determined to be insufficient; a lens configured to collect optical energy conveyed from the subject; a filter providing a plurality of pass bands associated with different center wavelengths within an infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, said filter being operable to pass filter optical energy collected by said lens in accordance with any selected one of its plurality of pass bands; an optical detector operable to generate an electrical signal representing an image of the subject in response to optical energy collected by said lens, pass filtered by said filter in accordance with a desired pass band selectable from among the plurality of pass bands, and subsequently incident on said optical detector; a control device operable to select the desired pass band from among the plurality of pass bands provided by said filter, wherein said control device comprises a microprocessor and wherein said microprocessor selects the desired pass band based on at least one of an ambient visible light level and an ambient infrared light level; a visible light sensor operable to measure the ambient visible light level; and an infrared light sensor operable to measure the ambient infrared light level; wherein said infrared illumination source is operated to transmit infrared optical energy in the direction of the subject when the ambient infrared light level measured by said infrared light sensor is determined by said microprocessor to be insufficient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An infrared camera system comprising:
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a lens configured to collect optical energy conveyed from a subject; a filter providing a pass band associated with a center wavelength within an infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, said filter being operable to pass filter optical energy collected by said lens in accordance with its pass band; an optical channel between said lens and said filter; an optical detector operable to generate an electrical signal representing an image of the subject in response to optical energy collected by said lens, directed though said optical channel to said filter, pass filtered by said filter in accordance with the pass band of said filter, and subsequently incident on said optical detector; and a micro-transmitter operable to transmit the electrical signal via at least one of a wired communications link and a wireless communications link; wherein said lens, filter, optical channel, optical detector and micro-transmitter are mounted on one of a pair of glasses and a vest wearable by a person. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An infrared camera system comprising:
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a lens configured to collect optical energy conveyed from a subject; a filter providing a plurality of pass bands associated with different center wavelengths within an infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, said filter being operable to pass filter optical energy collected by said lens in accordance with any selected one of its plurality of pass bands, said filter comprising a filter disk having a pass band associated with a center wavelength that varies in a continuous manner proceeding around a circumference of said disk, said disk being configured for rotation about an axis thereof to interpose a different section of said filter disk in an optical pathway between said lens and said optical detector, wherein the center wavelength of the pass band of said filter disk varies from a shorter wavelength to a longer wavelength in a predetermined increment over a predetermined distance measured along the circumference of said filter disk, and wherein the shorter wavelength is 700 nm, the longer wavelength is 1000 nm, the predetermined increment is 1.2 nm and the predetermined distance is 1 degree of arc; an optical detector operable to generate an electrical signal representing an image of the subject in response to optical energy collected by said lens, pass filtered by said filter in accordance with a desired pass band selectable from among the plurality of pass bands, and subsequently incident on said optical detector; and a control device operable to select the desired pass band from among the plurality of pass bands provided by said filter.
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Specification