Optical window with integrated temperature sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10939596-B1
Application number	US-201916537214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 9, 2019
Priority date	Aug 9, 2019
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for measuring and optionally adjusting the temperature profile of an optical window. In one example, an optical window with integrated temperature sensing functionality includes a first window layer of an optically transparent material, a second window layer of the optically transparent material, an electromagnetic interference shielding grid disposed between the first and second window layers and including a first electrically conductive structure and a second electrically conductive structure, and a thermally sensitive material disposed between the first and second electrically conductive structures, the thermally sensitive material having an electrical property that varies as a function of temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical window comprising:
a first window layer of an optically transparent material;
a second window layer of the optically transparent material;
an electromagnetic interference shielding grid disposed between the first and second window layers and including a first electrically conductive structure and a second electrically conductive structure; and
a thermally sensitive material disposed between the first and second electrically conductive structures, the thermally sensitive material having an electrical property that varies as a function of temperature.

2. The optical window of claim 1 wherein the first electrically conductive structure includes a first plurality of electrically conductive wires and the second electrically conductive structure includes a second plurality of electrically conductive wires.

3. The optical window of claim 2 wherein the first and second pluralities of electrically conducive wires are arranged in a rectilinear grid with the first plurality of electrically conductive wires oriented in a first direction and the second plurality of electrically conductive wires oriented in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The optical window of claim 1 wherein the thermally sensitive material forms a Schottky contact with at least some of the first plurality of electrically conductive wires or at least some of the second plurality of electrically conductive wires.

5. The optical window of claim 1 wherein the thermally sensitive material is a chalcogenide.

6. The optical window of claim 1 wherein the thermally sensitive material is one of germanium, zinc oxide (ZnO), vanadium oxide (VOx), and nickel chromium (NiCr).

7. The optical window of claim 1 wherein the thermally sensitive material is a semiconductor.

8. The optical window of claim 1 wherein the electrical property of the thermally sensitive material is electrical resistance.

9. An optical system comprising:
an optical window including a first window layer of an optically transparent material, a second window layer of the optically transparent material, an embedded electromagnetic interference shield and a thermally sensitive material disposed around the embedded electromagnetic interference shield, the electromagnetic interference shield including a first electrically conductive structure and a second electrically conductive structure, and the thermally sensitive material having an electrical property that varies as a function of temperature; and
a controller coupled to the embedded electromagnetic interference shield and configured to measure the electrical property of the thermally sensitive material to determine a temperature profile of the optical window.

10. The optical system of claim 9 wherein the first electrically conductive structure includes a first plurality of electrically conductive wires and the second electrically conductive structure includes a second plurality of electrically conductive wires.

11. The optical system of claim 10 wherein the thermally sensitive material forms a Schottky contact with at least some of the first plurality of electrically conductive wires or at least some of the second plurality of electrically conductive wires.

12. The optical system of claim 10 wherein the first and second pluralities of electrically conducive wires are arranged in a rectilinear grid with the first plurality of electrically conductive wires oriented in a first direction and the second plurality of electrically conductive wires oriented in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

13. The optical system of claim 12 wherein the controller is configured to selectively bias one or more wires of the first plurality of electrically conductive wires and one or more wires of the second plurality of electrically conductive wires to resistively heat the selected wires of the first plurality of electrically conductive wires and of the second plurality of electrically conductive wires to locally alter the electrical property of the thermally sensitive material in a region proximate the selected wires of the first plurality of electrically conductive wires and of the second plurality of electrically conductive wires.

14. The optical system of claim 13 wherein the electrical property of the thermally sensitive material is electrical resistance.

15. The optical system of claim 13 wherein the controller is configured to selectively bias the selected wires of the first plurality of electrically conductive wires and of the second plurality of electrically conductive wires based on the temperature profile of the optical window.

16. The optical system of claim 13 wherein the thermally sensitive material is one of a chalcogenide, germanium, zinc oxide (ZnO), vanadium oxide (VOx), and nickel chromium (NiCr).

17. The optical system of claim 9 wherein the thermally sensitive material is a semiconductor.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Grosse Kyle L
• Frazier Gary A
• Trent Catherine

Classifications

• H05K9/0094 Primary

  being light-transmitting, e.g. transparent, translucent · CPC title

• H05K9/0086

  comprising a single discontinuous metallic layer on an electrically insulating supporting structure, e.g. metal grid, perforated metal foil, film, aggregated flakes, sintering · CPC title

• H05K9/0005

  Shielded windows · CPC title

• H01Q1/425

  comprising a metallic grid · CPC title

• G05D23/1931 Primary

  to control the temperature of one space · CPC title