Texas Instruments Corporation

Raytheon Company

David D Ratcliff

Richard Lee Knipe

Martin Austin Wand

John F Brady

William D Bracken

Michael Weinstein

Robert W Coburn

Gregory G Mooty

Daniel W Stanley

Kenneth Rachels

Kenneth L Taylor

David L Amil

Steven S Stresau

A method for measuring the temperature of a scene using a detector having at least one reference pixel, with an integratable sampling circuit associated with each pixel. Initially, an ambient reference temperature is observed with the reference pixel(s) to provide a parameter, generally voltage, indicative of that temperature to provide a constant voltage output indicating that temperature by varying the sampling circuit integration time. Each non-reference pixel is exposed to different scene and ambient temperatures and the integration time for each set of data for each pixel is recorded. For each pixel, an equation is provided relating integration time to pixel voltage when the ambient temperature and the scene temperature are the same to correct for offsets and an equation is provided relating integration time and offset corrected pixel value to the difference between the ambient temperature and the scene temperature when the ambient temperature and scene temperature differ for correction of responsivity. An equation is provided relating integration time to ambient temperature for calculating ambient temperature. The voltage level for each of the pixels and the integration is determined, the offset correction for each pixel is calculated based upon the integration time and the offset correction is applied to the pixel value for each pixel. The responsivity corrected value is calculated for each pixel based upon the integration time and the offset corrected pixel value. The ambient temperature is calculated based upon the integration time and the temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the scene temperature for each pixel which is calculated based upon the responsivity corrected pixel value using a scale factor determined during calibration. The ambient temperature and the difference between the ambient and the scene temperatures are added to obtain the actual scene temperature.

Ambient temperature micro-bolometer control, calibration, and operation

'A vehicle and the ballistic shock isolator therefor including a turret, a sensor assembly and a shock isolator isolating the turret from the sensor switch and including upper and lower annular members, a plurality of leaves secured at opposing ends thereof to the annular members, each of the leaves having a corrugated bellows shaped portion in the form of an even number of similarly shaped portions, alternate ones of the similarly shaped portions having an open end in opposing directions, each of the leaves varying in thickness and width in a direction from the upper annular member to the lower annular member. The variation in width of the portion is alternately from wide to narrow and then from narrow to wide in a direction from the upper annular member to the lower annular member. Each of the leaves is composed of a metal having a yield strength which will not be exceeded by the maximum contemplated shock conditions and at least 150 KSI, the metal returning to its original shape after being subjected to shock. The metal is preferably 4000 series stainless steel. By use of the above described ballistic shock isolator, a tank may be subjected to a severe shock due to collision with a non-penetrating projectile with the CITV sensor assembly being capable of rapid repositioning to substantially identically return to its original position relative to the tank, thereby providing reliable boresight for use in connection with further tank deployment.

Shock isolator

Growing community of inventors

Richardson, TX, United States of America

David D Ratcliff