Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for forming stabilized thermal images of thermally active objects in an objected scene using a pyroelectric detector and which does not require chopping or rapid panning. The invention includes focusing optics for focusing thermal radiation flux from a thermally active object under investigation onto a pyroelectric detector. The output signal generated by the pyroelectric detector is decoupled of its DC offset component. The output signal is then mixed with the results of the decoupled signal passing through a gain and level control. The result is that the invention acts to track and boost the decay in the pyroelectric image when the detector is staring at a static image. The resulting image is amplified to match the input requirements of a level detector that drives a selected thermal image display. In order to adequately display the thermal center of mass, the thermal image is combined with the visual image of the thermally active object under investigation. This is accomplished by overlaying the thermal image on the visual image using any number of conventional image combining techniques. Preferred image combining techniques include electro-optic combination (Relayed Image), optical combination (Virtual Image), or direct combination (Projected Image).

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First Claim