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:
Jun. 10, 2014
Filed:
May. 16, 2012
Loic Le Noc, Quebec, CA;
Bruno Tremblay, St-Etienne de Lauzon, CA;
Loic Le Noc, Quebec, CA;
Bruno Tremblay, St-Etienne de Lauzon, CA;
Institut National d'Optique, Quebec, Quebec, CA;
Abstract
A method detects a loss of calibration of a thermal imaging radiometer including an array of imaging microbolometers and a gauge microbolometer. The detection method includes applying a first and a second electrical stimulation to the gauge microbolometer to bring it to a first and a second predetermined temperature, followed by measuring an ohmic responsivity of the gauge microbolometer that is representative of a difference between the first and second electrical stimulations. The measured ohmic responsivity is compared with a reference ohmic responsivity, such that a loss of calibration is signaled whenever the measured and reference ohmic responsivities differ by more than a predetermined threshold. A correction method includes steps of the detection method, to yield a corrected voltage response function for each imaging microbolometer. Advantageously, the methods involve probing the electrical response of the gauge microbolometer without requiring thermoregulated blackbody calibrations sources.