Non-linear calibration of a microbolometer included in an infrared imaging system

摘要

An apparatus and method for reducing nonlinearity artifacts in an IR imaging system applies a non-linear correcting function to signals received from a microbolometer. The non-linear correcting function can be a second-order polynomial, a third-order polynomial, some other formula, or a table from which corrections can be interpolated. In embodiments, the correcting function is automatically adjusted according to an ambient temperature measurement, to which a non-linear correction can be applied, either in a separate step or as an adjustment to the correcting function applied to the microbolometer signals.

主权项

1. A method for correcting an output of a microbolometer included in an infrared imaging system, the method comprising:
determining a correcting function, the correcting function being applicable to output signals received from a plurality of sensors included in the microbolometer, the correcting function having a nonlinear dependence on the amplitudes of the output signals; receiving a plurality of output signals from the plurality of sensors included in the microbolometer; and for each of the received output signals, producing a corrected signal by applying the correcting function to the output signal, the corrected signals having amplitudes that are uniformly and linearly related to intensities of infrared radiation impinging on the corresponding sensors in the microbolometer.