Apparatus and method for temperature measurement by radiation

Claim 1

An apparatus for measuring the temperature of an object by thermal radiation, said apparatus comprising: a thermal radiation sensor for receiving radiation from said object; shutter means adapted for reversible interruption of said radiation from said object to said sensor, electrically operated means forming an integral part of a portion of said shutter means for maintaining said portion of said shutter means at a predetermined temperature for comprising a thermal reference portion for said sensor, means for alternatively exposing said thermal radiation sensor to radiation from said object and to radiation from said thermal reference portion of said shutter means, said thermal radiation sensor also being for providing a first signal representative of the radiation it receives from said object, and a second signal representative of the radiation it receives from said portion, electronic circuit means connected to said sensor for receiving said first signal and said second signal, for calculating the temperature of said object, and for providing a signal representative of said calculated temperature.

Claim 2

An apparatus for measuring the temperature of an object by thermal radiation, said apparatus comprising: a thermal radiation sensor for receiving radiation from said object; shutter means adapted for reversible interruption of said radiation from said object to said sensor, electrically operated means forming an integral part of a portion of said shutter means for maintaining said portion of said shutter means at a predetermined temperature for comprising a thermal reference portion for said sensor, means for alternatively exposing said thermal radiation sensor to radiation from said object and to radiation from said thermal reference portion of said shutter means, said thermal radiation sensor also being for providing a first signal representative of the radiation it receives from said object, and a second signal representative of the radiation it receives from said portion, electronic circuit means connected to said sensor for receiving said first signal and said second signal, for calculating the temperature of said object, and for providing a signal representative of said calculated temperature.

Claim 7

The apparatus for measuring the temperature of an object by thermal radiation as described in calim 1, further comprising: said shutter means comprising two thermal reference portions and further, two portions of said shutter means comprising optical pathways for radiation from said object to said sensor.

Claim 8

The apparatus for measuring the temperature of an object by thermal radiation as described in calim 1, further comprising: said shutter means comprising two thermal reference portions and further, two portions of said shutter means comprising optical pathways for radiation from said object to said sensor.

Claim 12

A method for measuring the temperature of an object by thermal radiation, said method comprising: bringing a thermal reference portion of a shutter to a predetermined temperature by electrically operating means for changing temperature which is integral with said shutter, then alternatively exposing a thermal radiation sensor to the thermal reference portion, while said shutter is positioned for interrupting radiation from said object to said sensor, and moving said shutter for providing an optical pathway for exposing said sensor to radiation from said object to said sensor, and processing signals from said sensor caused by the exposure of said sensor to said shutter and to said object, for determining the temperature of the object.

Claim 13

A method for measuring the temperature of an object by thermal radiation, said method comprising: bringing a thermal reference portion of a shutter to a predetermined temperature by electrically operating means for changing temperature which is integral with said shutter, then alternatively exposing a thermal radiation sensor to the thermal reference portion, while said shutter is positioned for interrupting radiation from said object to said sensor, and moving said shutter for providing an optical pathway for exposing said sensor to radiation from said object to said sensor, and processing signals from said sensor caused by the exposure of said sensor to said shutter and to said object, for determining the temperature of the object.