Nano-structure Sheet for Dynamic Blackbody Scene Display

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for generating infrared scenes depicting movement are limited by thermal inertia, leading to slow refresh rates and artifacts, and require expensive, power-intensive resistive elements that do not produce true blackbody spectra, hindering calibration and testing of infrared imaging sensors.

Innovation Solution

A system using a sheet of nano-structures that absorb and re-radiate light to emit blackbody radiation, allowing rapid heating and cooling cycles to display dynamic scenes with high fidelity, utilizing a projector to irradiate the nano-structures with light in specific wavelengths to achieve the desired blackbody light emission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If resistive elements are heated and cooled to provide infrared irradiance, then infrared scenes can be generated, but the thermal inertia limits the refresh rate and causes artifacts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverefresh rateVSAvoidthermal inertia

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical/thermal heating and cooling system with an optical system. A projector illuminates a reflective surface that displays the infrared scene, eliminating the need to physically heat and cool resistive elements. This substitution of mechanical thermal manipulation with optical projection directly resolves the contradiction by achieving high refresh rates without thermal inertia limitations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If resistive elements with sufficient pixel counts are used, then modern imaging device pixel counts can be matched, but fabrication becomes difficult and expensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepixel count matchingVSAvoidfabrication complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a reflective surface (such as a mirror or diffractive optical element) that copies or reflects the projected infrared scene pattern. Instead of fabricating complex resistive element arrays with precise pixel patterns, the system projects the scene onto a reflective surface that reproduces the pattern optically. This copying approach achieves high pixel count matching while dramatically simplifying fabrication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If resistive elements are used to generate infrared irradiance, then scenes can be displayed, but true blackbody spectra are not produced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespectral accuracyVSAvoidspectral fidelity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the thermal emission mechanism of resistive elements with an optical reflection mechanism. Instead of relying on thermal radiation from heated elements (which cannot produce true blackbody spectra), the system uses a projector to generate the scene and a reflective surface to display it. This substitution eliminates spectral inaccuracy by using optical projection rather than thermal emission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Power

If resistive elements are used for scene generation, then infrared irradiance can be provided, but large amounts of power are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidscene generation capability

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes the high-power thermal heating process with a low-power optical projection process. The projector consumes significantly less power than resistive heating elements while achieving the same scene generation capability. This substitution resolves the contradiction by maintaining productivity (scene generation) while dramatically reducing power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

Enables rapid and accurate generation of dynamic infrared scenes with high fidelity, overcoming thermal inertia limitations and spectral inaccuracies, and allowing for precise calibration and testing of infrared imaging sensors.

Implementation Method 1

each nano-structure is configured to receive light in a first range of wavelengths resulting in heating the nano-structure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAbsorption (EM radiation): Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

to emit blackbody light due to the heating to display the scene with blackbody light

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBlackbody radiation: Thermal Radiation

Data Source

PatentUS10248015B2Dynamic blackbody scene display

Publication Date: 2019.04.02 RAYTHEON CO

AI summary

An apparatus for displaying a scene with blackbody light includes a sheet of nano-structures having a first side and a second side opposing the first side. The first side and the second side are configured to receive light from an environment facing both sides and emit light to the environment facing both sides. Each nano-structure is configured to receive light in a first range of wavelengths resulting in heating the nano-structure and to emit blackbody light due to the heating to display the scene with blackbody light. The apparatus also includes a projector configured to irradiate the nano-structures on one of the sides of the sheet with light in the first range of wavelengths that form the scene to be displayed with the blackbody light emitted from the sheet of nano-structures.