Patent ID: 8803093

Claim:
An infrared (“IR”) camera comprising: an optical system configured to receive incoming radiation in an IR wavelength range from an imaged area; a first thermal IR detector; a second thermal IR detector; a first beamsplitter configured to transmit a first wavelength spectrum and reflect a second wavelength spectrum, wherein the incoming radiation received through the optical system is split by the first beamsplitter into a first beam having the first wavelength spectrum that is transmitted through the first beamsplitter and a second beam having the second wavelength spectrum that is reflected from the first beamsplitter and is of a different wavelength spectrum than the first wavelength spectrum, wherein the first and second beam represent a same scene of the imaged area, wherein the first thermal IR detector is configured to receive the first beam and detect a first image of the imaged area based on the first beam, and wherein the second thermal IR detector is configured to receive the second beam and detect a second image of the imaged area based on the second beam; a processor operable to calculate properties of the imaged area based on a relationship of the first and the second images; and a display, coupled to the processor, for viewing by a user of the camera, wherein the camera is operable to detect a presence of a gas in the imaged area by comparing the second image to the first image to obtain a gas image indicating the presence of the gas in the image area, said gas having a particular gas wavelength range, wherein the first beamsplitter is configured to split the incoming radiation so that the relationship between the gas wavelength range and the incoming IR wavelength range in the first beam is different from the relationship between the gas wavelength range and the incoming IR wavelength range in the second beam, and wherein the camera is configured to present the obtained gas image on the display for viewing by the user.