Appeal No. 2006-1049
Application No. 09/667,826
circuit further comprises a feedback capacitor coupled between the output of the
differential amplifier and said first input thereof.
33. An infrared focal plane array as set out in claim 32, wherein said readout
circuit further comprises a switch coupled between and parallel with said feedback
capacitor between the output of the differential amplifier and the first input thereof.
34. An infrared focal plane array as set out in claim 27 wherein said plurality
of detector elements and said readout circuit are formed as a single monolithic
integrated circuit wherein said readout circuit acts as a substrate for said detector
elements.
35. An infrared focal plane array, comprising:
a plurality of detector elements configured in a two dimensional array; and
a readout circuit electrically coupled to said plurality of detector elements
and structurally integrated therewith, said readout circuit comprising:
a sample and hold capacitor;
means for biasing the detector elements so as to provide an analog detection
signal from each detector element corresponding to the infrared radiation incident
thereon, wherein the analog detection signal is a voltage signal provided at a
sample node coupled to the sample and hold capacitor; and
means for correcting the analog detection signal from each detector element
by a discrete offset correction and providing a corrected analog detection signal,
wherein the discrete offset correction varies from detector element to detector
element and comprises an offset correction voltage added to, or subtracted from,
the voltage signal, wherein said means for correcting subtracts or adds a variable
amount of charge from said sample and hold capacitor to provide a corrected
voltage signal at said sample node, and wherein said means for correcting
comprises a plurality of parallel connected constant current sources connected
between said sample node and a reference voltage and a plurality of switches
corresponding to said plurality of constant current sources and respectively
coupled in series therewith.
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