Modular split-processing infrared imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017195584-A1
Application number	US-201715466599-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2017
Priority date	Sep 23, 2014
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various techniques are provided to implement a modular infrared imager assembly configured to interface with supporting electronics provided, for example, by a third party. In one example, a system includes an imager assembly comprising a focal plane array configured to capture thermal image data from a scene and output the thermal image data, a printed circuit board assembly, and processing electronics communicatively connected to the focal plane array through the printed circuit board assembly and configured to receive and process the thermal image data. The system further includes a connector communicatively connected to the imager assembly and configured to interface with supporting electronics configured to receive and additionally process the thermal image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
an imager assembly comprising:
a focal plane array configured to capture thermal image data from a scene and output the thermal image data,
a printed circuit board assembly, and
processing electronics communicatively connected to the focal plane array through the printed circuit board assembly and configured to receive and process the thermal image data; and
a connector communicatively connected to the imager assembly and configured to interface with supporting electronics configured to receive and additionally process the thermal image data.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the imager assembly is configured to modularly interface with the supporting electronics provided by a third party and configured to perform third party-specific image processing.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics is further configured to calibrate the focal plane array.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics is further configured to control the focal plane array.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising the supporting electronics connected to the imager assembly through the connector.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the processing electronics and/or the supporting electronics comprises a field-programmable gate array.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the supporting electronics comprises a supporting processor configured to additionally process the thermal image data by adjusting a lens gain, performing flat field correction, filtering noise, performing automatic gain correction, and/or performing third party-specific image processing.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the imager assembly further comprises an analog-to-digital converter.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the printed circuit board assembly comprises:
a first printed circuit board having the focal plane array disposed thereon; a second printed circuit board having the processing electronics disposed thereon; and an intermediate connector communicatively connected between the first and second printed circuit boards to pass the thermal image data from the focal plane array to the processing electronics, wherein the focal plane array and the processing electronics are mounted on substantially opposite sides of the first and second printed circuit boards.

10 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising a spacer adjacent to the printed circuit board assembly to offset the processing electronics from the supporting electronics.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the spacer comprises a cover at least partially disposed between a side of the second printed circuit board and the supporting electronics.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing electronics are mounted on a side of the second printed circuit board facing the cover and a volume between the cover and the processing electronics are at least partially filled with a protective filler.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to be integrated into an infrared camera comprising a processing component configured to further process the thermal image data.

14 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor window displaced a first distance from the focal plane array; and a protective window displaced a second distance greater than the first distance from the focal plane array, wherein the second distance is predetermined such that damage or debris incident on the protective window is out of focus in the thermal image data.

15 . A method comprising:
capturing thermal image data from a scene with a focal plane array of an imager assembly; outputting the thermal image data to processing electronics of the imager assembly;
processing the thermal image data with the processing electronics; and
communicating, with a connector, the thermal image data processed by the processing electronics to supporting electronics outside of the imager assembly for additional processing of the thermal image data.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein additionally processing the thermal infrared image with the supporting electronics comprises adjusting a lens gain, performing flat field correction, filtering noise, performing automatic gain correction, and/or performing customer specific image processing.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising calibrating the focal plane array with the processing electronics.

18 . A method of manufacture comprising:
receiving an imager assembly with a focal plane array, a printed circuit board assembly, processing electronics communicatively connected to the focal plane array through the printed circuit board assembly and configured to receive and process the thermal image data, and a connector; coupling the imager assembly, via the connector, to supporting electronics, wherein the imager assembly is configured to output thermal image data to the supporting electronics via the connector and the supporting electronics is configured to further process the thermal image data; and assembling the imager assembly and the system processing component into an infrared camera.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the imager assembly is configured to modularly interface with a plurality of supporting electronics provided by one or more customers and configured to perform customer specific image processing.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising configuring the imager assembly to perform the customer specific image processing.

Assignees

• Flir Systems

Inventors

• Kostrzewa Joseph
• Covington Bruce
• Posch Chris
• Patterson Wayne
• Handley Charles
• Walker Dan
• Nguyen Vu L

Classifications

• H04N23/54 Primary

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/57 Primary

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• H04N5/33 Primary

  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) · CPC title

• H04N5/2257

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N23/23

  from thermal infrared radiation · CPC title