Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for measuring atmospheric temperature

US6409198B1 · kind B1 · utility

20Cited by
11References
38Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 12, 1999
Grant dateJun 25, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 12, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01J3/26
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An advance in a passive, remote sensing device for measurement of atmospheric temperature utilizes an actuated modulator for periodically alternating the radiation detected by a detector at a selected infrared wavelength between the infrared radiation from the atmosphere and that from the infrared reference radiation emitted from a reference material such that the detector compares the radiation emitted from the atmosphere to that emitted by the reference material at the selected infrared wavelength in order to determine the atmosphere temperature. Preferably, the modulator is a MEMS based modulator having a movable grating formed by MEMS based fabrication techniques.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.