Patent ID: 7750300
Filing Date: 2010-07-06
Classification: G01J,H04N

Abstract:
1. Apparatus, comprising: an array of optical elements each having a thermally responsive optical property, the optical elements including a signal element and a reference element configured to provide (1) a common-mode response of the optical property to a common input condition and (2) a differential-mode response of the optical property to a thermal signal appearing across the array of optical elements; and an optical readout subsystem configured to (1) illuminate the array of optical elements with optical energy at a readout wavelength corresponding to the optical property so as to generate a composite optical signal having common-mode and differential-mode signal components corresponding to the common-mode and differential-mode responses respectively of the signal and reference elements, and (2) generate from the composite optical signal an output optical signal being substantially the differential-mode image component.