The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 30, 2001
Filed:
Jun. 28, 1999
Glenn D. Boreman, Geneva, FL (US);
Iulian Cordreanu, Orlando, FL (US);
Christophe Fumeaux, Orlando, FL (US);
Michael Gritz, Orlando, FL (US);
Christos Christodoulou, Orlando, FL (US);
University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (US);
Abstract
A tuned antenna-coupled infrared detector is made possible by application of a bias voltage in the range of a few hundred millivolts. The use of first and second antenna arms connected to the detector makes possible polarization tuning which eliminates the need for bulk-optical polarization filters. An alternative tuned detector is one in which the antenna is frequency tuned by a capacitative device to make the detector particularly responsive to 8 um to 12 um infrared radiation. When integrated into focal plane arrays, these detectors can be used in remote-sensing systems to facilitate enhanced image recognition, feature extraction and image-clutter removal. One preferred version of the polarization tuned antenna has longitudinal metal antenna arms extending outward from an infrared(IR) sensor in a spiral pattern, with polarization tuning devices connected between the antenna arms, and a voltage for controlling the polarization tuning devices, wherein the polarization tuning devices enable real-time control of current distribution in the arms. For the frequency tuned sensors, the embodiment is preferably a microstrip antenna coupled to a bolometer wherein the sensor has a tunable response accomplished by use of a single substrate voltage on a separate capacitative device. The infrared(IR) sensors can be tunnel diodes, schottky diodes, photovoltaics, photoconductors, bolometers and pyroelectrics. Application areas can include earth-resource mapping, pollution monitoring, and general surveillance.