Readout technique for microbolometer array

摘要

A method and apparatus to reduce undesirable deficiencies in an image produced by a microbolometer array including multiple smaller arrays includes applying a separate bias pulse to each of the microbolometers in the smaller arrays and measuring a resulting signal corresponding to the applied bias pulse for each of the microbolometers using multiple measurement circuits associated with the smaller arrays during the frame time. Further, one or more known bias pulses are applied to the measurement circuitry during the frame time, one or more resulting calibration signals are measured, an offset parameter for each of the smaller arrays based on the corresponding measured resulting calibration signals is computed, and the measured resulting signal is corrected using the associated computed offset parameter to produce an output signal that reduces the undesirable deficiencies in the image produced by the array.