Raytheon Company

Paolo Masini

John William Devitt

Stephen H Black

Methods and apparatus for preventing solar damage, and other heat-related damage, to uncooled microbolometer pixels. In certain examples, a thermochroic membrane that becomes highly reflective at temperatures above a certain threshold is applied over at least some of the microbolometer pixels to prevent the pixels from being damaged by excessive heat.

Thermal protection mechanisms for uncooled microbolometers

Methods and apparatus for preventing solar damage, and other heat-related damage, to uncooled microbolometer pixels. In certain examples, at least some of the pixels of an uncooled microbolometer are configured with a bimetallic thermal shorting structure that protects the pixel(s) from excessive heat damage. In other examples a thermochroic membrane that becomes highly reflective at temperatures above a certain threshold is applied over the microbolometer pixels to prevent the pixels from being damaged by excessive heat.

According to one aspect, embodiments herein provide a sensing device comprising an accelerometer configured to monitor acceleration of the sensing device and provide acceleration information including a value of the acceleration of the sensing device, and an Integrated Circuit (IC) coupled to the accelerometer, the IC configured to receive the acceleration information from the accelerometer and render the sensing device permanently inoperable in response to the value of the acceleration of the sensing device exceeding a threshold indicative of a military application of the sensing device.

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Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Paolo Masini