Hughes Electronics Corporation

David Le Fevre

Richard Chin

A thermal imaging device (10) has single integrated circuit chip (86) to perform various analog signal processing (ASP) functions. The imaging device (10) has a detector array (50) including a plurality of detectors (50') each of which generate an electrical signal (78) indicative of the infrared flux incident thereon. These electrical signals (78) are processed and provided in the form of serial analog video signals (52) to the ASP chip (86). The ASP chip (86) includes circuitry (200) for correcting for the differing responsivity of serial manufactured detector arrays (50), circuitry (202) for correcting the gain of the serial analog signal (52) globally, and circuitry (206) for sensing the gain of a processing serial analog signal (90) which the ASP chip (86) provides to an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter (92) of the thermal imaging device (10). The ASP chip (86) further includes a buffer (204) for driving the A/D converter (92), and a voltage and current reference generator (212) for providing such references (213) both internally to the ADC IC (86) as well as externally of this IC to other components of the imaging device (10) including the detector (50) and A/D convertor (92). A micro-controller (122) of the thermal imaging device (10) averages the gain of the output signal (90) provided the A/D converter (92) and used this information to calculate responsivity and gain control signals (210, 209) applied to the serial analog video signal (52) provided to the ASP chip (86), such that the A/D converter (92) is provided an analog video signal (90) at a mid-scale level for the input signal to this A/D converter (92).

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Redondo Beach, CA, United States of America

David Le Fevre