System and method for lens alignment and bonding

Abstract

A system for securing an infrared camera lens in optical alignment with a multiple pixel infrared camera sensor, comprising: a computer-controlled robotic arm to adjust a relative position of the camera sensor and the camera lens so as to bring the lens into an ideal lens position with respect to the camera sensor, wherein the ideal lens position is determined based on focus sharpness over at least a plurality of pixels at the camera sensor of at least one projected calibration target as focused by the camera lens on the camera sensor; and at least one computer-controlled welder that is adapted to perform welding together of at least two metal parts of the camera after the camera lens is positioned by the robotic arm in the ideal lens position with respect to the camera sensor such that the camera lens is permanently maintained in the ideal lens position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for securing an infrared camera lens in optical alignment with a multiple pixel infrared camera sensor, comprising:
 a computer-controlled robotic arm adapted to adjust a relative position of the infrared camera sensor and the infrared camera lens so as to bring the infrared lens into an ideal lens position with respect to the infrared camera sensor, wherein the ideal lens position is determined based on focus sharpness over at least a plurality of pixels at the infrared camera sensor of at least one projected calibration target as focused by the infrared camera lens on the infrared camera sensor; and   at least one computer-controlled welder, the at least one computer-controlled welder being adapted to perform welding together of at least two metal parts of the infrared camera after the infrared camera lens is positioned by the robotic arm in the ideal lens position with respect to the infrared camera sensor such that the infrared camera lens is permanently maintained in the ideal lens position.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting is performed by at least one of (i) moving a lens body containing the infrared camera lens with respect to a camera body containing the infrared camera sensor, and (ii) moving the infrared camera sensor with respect to the infrared camera lens, the infrared camera lens being contained within the lens body, wherein the moving is not restricted to be within a two-dimensional plane, the lens body and the camera body being at least two of the at least two parts to be welded together by the computer-controlled welder. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the projected calibration target is determined based on infrared rays output by at least one collimator that is positioned such that the output infrared rays converge on the infrared camera sensor after passing through the infrared camera lens; and wherein the at least one collimator includes a black body configured as the calibration target, and wherein the robotic arm is further configured to adjust the relative position based on a modulation transfer function (MTF) chart associated with the calibration target. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one computer-controlled welder is a laser welder. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one computer-controlled welder performs the welding on at least a portion of tangent circumference at an interface of a spherical shaped ring that is within a cylindrical shaped ring, at least one of the spherical shaped ring and the cylindrical shaped ring being associated with a camera body and the other of the at least one of the spherical shaped ring and the cylindrical shaped ring being associated with a lens body containing the infrared camera lens. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein after being placed in the ideal lens position the infrared camera lens is kept in the ideal lens position by the at least one computer-controlled welder first performing a plurality of spot welds as part of the welding. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one computer-controlled welder is mounted on a computer-controlled robotic arm. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the metal of at least one of the two metal parts comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-controlled robotic arm is adapted to adjust the relative position by moving at least one of the infrared camera sensor and the infrared camera lens in more than two degrees of freedom. 
     
     
         10 . A method for securing an infrared camera lens in optical alignment with a multiple pixel infrared camera sensor, comprising:
 adjusting a relative position of the infrared camera sensor and the infrared camera lens by computer-controlled robotic arm so as to bring the infrared lens into an ideal lens position with respect to the infrared camera sensor, wherein the ideal lens position is determined based on focus sharpness over at least a plurality of pixels at the infrared camera sensor of at least one projected calibration target as focused by the infrared camera lens on the infrared camera sensor; and   welding together, by at least one computer-controlled welder, at least two metal parts of the infrared camera after the infrared camera lens is positioned by the robotic arm in the ideal lens position with respect to the infrared camera sensor such that the infrared camera lens is permanently maintained in the ideal lens position.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the adjusting is performed by at least one of (i) moving a lens body containing the infrared camera lens with respect to a camera body containing the infrared camera sensor, and (ii) moving the infrared camera sensor with respect to the infrared camera lens, the infrared camera lens being contained within the lens body, wherein the moving is not restricted to be within a two-dimensional plane, the lens body and the camera body being at least two of the at least two parts to be welded together by the computer-controlled welder. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the projected calibration target is determined based on infrared rays output by at least one collimator that is positioned such that the output infrared rays converge on the infrared camera sensor after passing through the infrared camera lens; and wherein the at least one collimator includes a black body configured as the calibration target, and wherein the robotic arm is further configured to adjust the relative position based on a modulation transfer function (MTF) chart associated with the calibration target. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the at least one computer-controlled welder is a laser welder. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one computer-controlled welder performs the welding on at least a portion of tangent circumference at an interface of a spherical shaped ring that is within a cylindrical shaped ring, at least one of the spherical shaped ring and the cylindrical shaped ring being associated with a camera body and the other of the at least one of the spherical shaped ring and the cylindrical shaped ring being associated with a lens body containing the infrared camera lens. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein after being placed in the ideal lens position the infrared camera lens is kept in the ideal lens position by the at least one computer-controlled welder first performing a plurality of spot welds as part of the welding. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the at least one computer-controlled welder is mounted on a computer-controlled robotic arm. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the metal of at least one of the two metal parts comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the computer-controlled robotic arm is adapted to adjust the relative position by moving at least one of the infrared camera sensor and the infrared camera lens in more than two degrees of freedom. 
     
     
         19 . A method for securing a camera lens in optical alignment with a multiple pixel camera sensor, comprising:
 adjusting a relative position of the camera sensor and the camera lens by computer-controlled robotic arm so as to bring the lens into an ideal lens position with respect to the camera sensor, wherein the ideal lens position is determined based on focus sharpness over at least a plurality of pixels at the camera sensor of at least one projected calibration target as focused by the camera lens on the camera sensor; and   welding together, by at least one computer-controlled welder, at least two metal parts of the camera after the camera lens is positioned by the robotic arm in the ideal lens position with respect to the infrared camera sensor such that the camera lens is permanently maintained in the ideal lens position.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one computer-controlled welder performs the welding on at least a portion of tangent circumference at an interface of a spherical shaped ring that is within a cylindrical shaped ring, at least one of the spherical shaped ring and the cylindrical shaped ring being associated with a camera body and the other of the at least one of the spherical shaped ring and the cylindrical shaped ring being associated with a lens body containing the infrared camera lens.