US 12,117,345 B2
Systems and methods for thermal radiation detection
Stephen Michael Varga, Loveland, OH (US); and Steven Henry Mersch, Germantown, OH (US)
Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed by The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed on Jan. 12, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/411,073.
Application 18/411,073 is a continuation of application No. 18/156,423, filed on Jan. 19, 2023, granted, now 11,906,362.
Application 18/156,423 is a continuation of application No. 17/206,177, filed on Mar. 19, 2021, granted, now 11,592,336, issued on Feb. 28, 2023.
Application 17/206,177 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/029,103, filed on Sep. 23, 2020, granted, now 11,585,697, issued on Feb. 21, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/906,782, filed on Sep. 27, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0151588 A1, May 9, 2024
Int. Cl. G01J 5/03 (2022.01); G01J 5/24 (2006.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01); H01L 31/0296 (2006.01); H04N 5/33 (2023.01)
CPC G01J 5/03 (2022.01) [G01J 5/24 (2013.01); H01L 27/14649 (2013.01); H01L 31/02966 (2013.01); H04N 5/33 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A thermal radiation detection system, comprising:
a plurality of infrared sensor elements arranged as an array, wherein each of the plurality of infrared sensor elements comprises a semiconductor selected from a mercury-cadmium-telluride (HgCdTe)-based photodiode infrared detector, or an Indium Arsenide (InAs)-based photodiode infrared detector, configured to generate an output responsive to detected infrared wavelengths;
a temperature sensing circuit, the temperature sensing circuit configured to generate signals correlated to temperatures of one or more of the plurality of infrared sensor elements;
an amplifier circuit, the amplifier circuit configured to convert the outputs from the plurality of infrared sensor elements to output voltages, wherein the amplifier circuit comprises a transimpedance amplifier; and
a signal processing circuit, the signal processing circuit configured to generate a signal usable by an imaging system based on the signals generated by the temperature sensing circuit and output based on the infrared sensor elements.