Dual IR Imaging Module System for Dynamic Range Enhancement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional infrared (IR) cameras face challenges in capturing the full dynamic range of thermal IR images with large temperature variations, often resulting in saturated high-irradiance areas and noisy low-irradiance areas due to single exposure limitations.
Innovation Solution
The use of a dual IR imaging module system, where one module is optimized for high-gain and high spatial resolution for lower irradiance, and another for low-gain and broader dynamic range, with a processing system to detect saturated pixels and generate a combined image by blending or replacing them with non-saturated pixels from the second module, ensuring high dynamic range imaging while maintaining signal fidelity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the IR camera is optimized for lower irradiance, then the low irradiance areas can be captured with good signal-to-noise ratio, but the high irradiance areas will be saturated
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system is segmented into multiple IR imaging modules, each optimized for different irradiance ranges. The processing system segments the image data by identifying saturated pixels in one module's image and replacing them with corresponding pixels from another module's image, thereby resolving the contradiction between capturing low irradiance details and avoiding high irradiance saturation.
2Reliability
If the IR camera is optimized for higher irradiance, then the high irradiance areas can be captured without saturation, but the low irradiance areas will become noisy and appear black
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple imaging modules with different gain settings. One module is optimized for high irradiance (lower gain) while another is optimized for low irradiance (higher gain). The processing system segments the final image by selecting pixels from the appropriate module based on saturation detection, thus resolving the contradiction between capturing high irradiance without saturation and maintaining signal-to-noise ratio in low irradiance areas.
3Ease of operation
If a single integration time is used, then the camera operation is simple, but it is impossible to fully encompass a scene's temperature variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts to different temperature ranges by using multiple imaging modules with different integration times. The processing system dynamically selects and combines pixels from different modules based on saturation detection, providing adaptability to various temperature variations while maintaining simple operation through automated processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively captures a broader temperature range with improved signal-to-noise ratio, reducing saturation and noise, and allowing for accurate radiometric data capture, including absolute temperature determination.
Implementation Method 1
Focal plane arrays (FPAs) that detect IR radiation (e.g., thermal IR radiation) are used by IR cameras to provide thermal IR images. For example, thermal IR radiation passing through an optical path of an IR camera is received by IR detectors of the FPA
Data Source
AI summary
Various techniques are provided for using one or more thermal infrared (IR) imaging modules to enhance the dynamic range of images. In one example, devices and methods provide a first IR imaging module that captures a first image, a second IR imaging module optimized for higher IR irradiance that captures a second image, and a processing system that detects saturated pixels of the first image, determines pixels of the second image corresponding to the saturated pixels of the first image, and generates a combined image based on non-saturated pixels of the first image and the pixels of the second image. The IR imaging modules may be a microbolometer focal plane array (FPA) configured for high-gain, and a microbolometer FPA configured for low-gain. The IR imaging modules may be a photon detector FPA and a microbolometer FPA.