Apparatus and method for testing infrared camera

1. An apparatus for testing a pair of infrared cameras configured and arranged to capture stereo infrared images, said apparatus comprising:

a cover plate which has a plurality of holes formed therethrough and arranged in line in a horizontal direction, said holes spaced apart from one another at a regular interval, the cover plate having a first thermal conductivity and being adapted to emit an amount of infrared light;

an emission source which is disposed in parallel to and behind the cover plate as viewed from infrared cameras to be tested, the emission source being adapted to emit a different amount of infrared light when compared with the cover plate; and

a pair of spacers disposed between and separating the cover plate and the emission source, said spacers formed from a material having a second thermal conductivity which is lower than that of the cover plate.

2. An apparatus for testing infrared cameras, according to claim 1 , wherein the emission source comprises a metal plate, and a heat source which is connected to the metal plate.

3. An apparatus for testing infrared cameras, according to claim 1 , wherein the cover plate has been subjected to a processing for reducing infrared reflection therefrom.

4. An apparatus for testing infrared cameras, according to claim 1 , wherein the emission source comprises a metal plate, and a heating and cooling source which is connected to the metal plate.

5. An apparatus for testing infrared cameras, according to claim 1 , wherein paper is adhered to a front of the cover plate to reduce infrared reflection therefrom.

6. An apparatus for testing a pair of infrared cameras configured and arranged to capture stereo infrared images, said apparatus comprising:

a cover plate which has a plurality of holes formed therethrough and arranged in line in a horizontal direction, said holes spaced apart from one another at a regular interval, the cover plate being adapted to emit an amount of infrared light;

an emission source which is disposed in parallel to and behind the cover plate as viewed from infrared cameras to be tested, the emission source being adapted to emit a different amount of infrared light when compared with the cover plate; and

a controller comprising:

a binary converter for converting gray scale images obtained by said infrared cameras into binary images;

a calculator for calculating values representing geometric centers of said holes based on said binary images;

a comparer for comparing the calculated values representing geometric centers of said holes to stored values representing actual centers of said holes; and

a correction factor calculator for calculating a respective correction factor for each of said cameras, based on data generated by said comparer.

7. An apparatus for testing infrared cameras according to claim 6 , wherein the emission source comprises a metal plate, and a heat source which is connected to the metal plate.

8. An apparatus for testing infrared cameras according to claim 6 , wherein the cover plate has been subjected to a processing for reducing infrared reflection therefrom.

9. An apparatus for testing infrared cameras according to claim 6 , wherein the emission source comprises a metal plate, and a heating and cooling source which is connected to the metal plate.

10. An apparatus for testing infrared cameras according to claim 6 , wherein paper is adhered to a front of the cover plate to reduce infrared reflection therefrom.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured for use with a vehicle having infrared cameras thereon, and wherein the apparatus is operable to test a pair of spaced-apart infrared cameras which are installed on the vehicle.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the emission source comprises a metal plate having a width which is substantially similar to a width of a vehicle having said pair of infrared cameras thereon.