Appeal No. 2006-1049
Application No. 09/667,826
and uniform offset values corresponding to the binary value of the four offset
coefficients S0-SN (col. 13, lines 25-37).
41. By adjusting these capacitance values as well as optionally the voltage
VR, the discrete step size of voltage correction corresponding to each capacitor
which is switched into the network may be controlled (col. 13, lines 37-40).
42. In this way, a substantially uniform signal can be provided at Vout for
each detector element when the detectors are uniformly illuminated, thereby
correcting for nonuniformities in the individual detector elements 200 (col. 13,
lines 40-44).
43. This stepwise correction of detector voltages to a uniform value for a
uniform IR scene is illustrated in FIG. 7, discussed below (col. 13, lines 44-46).
44. As further shown in FIG. 3B (col. 13, lines 47-63):
[T]he offset correction circuit 220 is coupled to the node 222 through
switch 230 which is responsive to the signal OFFSET provided along
line 136. The control signal offset maintains the OFFSET correction
circuit 220 disconnected from node 222 until the sampled voltage VD
stabilizes at node 210 and the microbolometer detector is
disconnected from node 210 by opening the sample switch 208. The
signal OFFSET provided along line 136 then closes switch 230 to
couple the offset correction network circuit 220 to node 222 and
thereby subtract (or add) the desired charge from sample and hold
capacitor 212 to provide the offset corrected voltage Vout along line
214. This offset switch 230 is momentarily closed and then opened to
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Last modified: November 3, 2007