Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080266687 | All-reflective, wide-field-of-view, inverse-telephoto optical system with external posterior aperture stop and long back focal length - An imaging optical system includes a set of mirrors including at least three mirrors on a beam path. Only a last mirror on the beam path has a positive optical power and all other mirrors have negative optical power. The sum of the optical powers of the mirrors is zero. An external posterior aperture stop is on the beam path between the last mirror and the image plane. A back focal length of the optical system is equal to or greater than an effective focal length of the optical system. The field of view is large, and typically at least 30-40 degrees in one plane. | 10-30-2008 |
20090108201 | Calibration source infrared assembly for an infrared detector - Provided is a calibration source IR assembly for an IR detector including an IR focal plane. The calibration assembly includes a rotatable spectral filter wheel optically coupled to an IR focal plane of the detector, the filter wheel having a plurality of areas each of at least a minimum size. At least one area being a calibration area, the calibration area including: a substrate having a first side facing the IR focal plane and a second side opposite from the first side; a light transmitting edge section disposed between the first side and the second side; and at least one light redirector disposed at least partially within the substrate, the light redirector structured and arranged to receive light from the edge and to redirect the light out the first side. A light source optically coupled to the edge section. An IR detector including the improvement of such a calibration source IR assembly is also provided. | 04-30-2009 |
20090109561 | Beam-steering apparatus having five degrees of freedom of line-of-sight steering - A beam-steering apparatus comprises a set of planar tiltable mirrors positioned to define a light beam path therebetween. The set of planar tiltable mirrors comprises from three to five planar tiltable mirrors. Each of the planar tiltable mirrors has a center of rotation lying in a plane of the mirror and each of the planar tiltable mirrors is tiltable about one axis of rotation or two orthogonal axes of rotation that lie in the plane of the mirror. The total number of axes of rotation about which the planar tiltable mirrors of the set of planar tiltable mirrors can tilt is at least five. A mirror drive system tilts each respective planar mirror about its respective axis of rotation or axes of rotation. With this apparatus, an input or output light beam path is steerable over two angular, one rotational, and two lateral-position degrees of freedom. | 04-30-2009 |
20090212219 | INFRARED IMAGING OPTICAL SYSTEM WITH VARYING FOCAL LENGTH ACROSS THE FIELD OF VIEW - Provided is an infrared imaging optical system with an advantageously varying focal length across the field of view. More specifically, in a particular embodiment, provided is an inverse telephoto lens group having a field of view on the order of at least two radians. The focal length of the lens group is structured and arranged to vary in a pre-determined fashion across the field of view. An IR detector is optically coupled to the inverse telephoto lens group. A pupil is disposed between the IR detector and the inverse telephoto lens group. | 08-27-2009 |
20090237784 | Pointable Optical System With Coude Optics Having A Short On-Gimbal Path Length - A coude gimbal structure includes a two-axis gimbal system having an outer gimbal pivotable about a first rotational axis, and an inner gimbal supported on the outer gimbal and pivotable about a second rotational axis which intersects the first rotational axis at an intersection point. A folded afocal three-mirror anastigmat has a positive-optical-power primary mirror, a negative-optical-power secondary mirror, and a positive-optical-power tertiary mirror, and a first flat fold mirror, and a second flat fold mirror. A beam path incident upon the primary mirror is reflected from the primary mirror to the secondary mirror. The tertiary mirror lies on the second rotational axis, the first flat fold mirror redirects the beam path reflected from the secondary mirror to the tertiary mirror, and the second flat fold mirror lies at the intersection point and redirects the beam path reflected from the tertiary mirror along the first rotational axis. | 09-24-2009 |
20100188762 | APPARATUS AND METHOD OF SHAPING A LASER BEAM PROFILE - Various embodiments provide an apparatus and method for shaping a laser beam profile in which the apparatus includes a reformatting optical system configured to reformat a laser beam having a Gaussian intensity profile into a radiation beam having a top hat intensity profile; and a Fourier transforming optical system configured to transform the radiation beam having the top hat intensity profile into a radiation beam having a Bessel or sinc function intensity profile. | 07-29-2010 |
20100202073 | ALL-REFLECTIVE AFOCAL TELESCOPE DERIVED FROM THE FIRST TWO MIRRORS OF A FOCAL THREE-MIRROR ANASTIGMAT TELESCOPE - In one or more embodiments, an all-reflective optical system includes a primary mirror of ellipsoidal configuration, a secondary mirror of hyperboloidal configuration facing the primary mirror, and an eye-piece that includes: a positive-powered tertiary mirror having a majority of positive power that is expected in the eye-piece and configured to substantially collimate light rays incident thereon; and a negative-powered near-flat quaternary mirror having lesser power than the tertiary mirror and configured to receive the substantially collimated light rays from the tertiary mirror, further collimate the received light rays and reflect the further collimated light rays to an exit pupil. The primary mirror, the secondary mirror and the eye-piece thereby form an afocal optical system. | 08-12-2010 |
20100245965 | REAL-TIME OPTICAL COMPENSATION OF ORBIT INDUCED DISTORTION EFFECTS IN LONG INTEGRATION TIME IMAGERS - An apparatus and method for effecting and changing optical distortions is disclosed. The apparatus includes a beam imaging apparatus including a first deformable mirror, a second deformable mirror, and a beam-steering apparatus. The beam-steering apparatus includes a plurality of planar tiltable mirrors arranged to define a radiation beam path therebetween, wherein the plurality of planar tiltable mirrors comprises at least three tiltable mirrors. A mirror drive system is configured to tilt each respective planar mirror about its respective axis of rotation or axes of rotation and a controller is configured to control deformation of a reflective surface of the first and the second deformable mirrors. | 09-30-2010 |
20100265364 | SELF-CORRECTING ADAPTIVE LONG-STARE ELECTRO-OPTICAL SYSTEM - An imaging platform minimizes image distortion when there is relative motion of the imaging platform with respect to the scene being imaged where the imaging platform may be particularly susceptible to distortion when it is configured with a wide field of view or high angular rate of movement, or when performing long-stares at a given scene (e.g., for nighttime and low-light imaging.) Distortion correction may be performed by predicting distortion due to the relative motion of the imaging platform, determining optical transformations to prevent the distortion, dynamically adjusting the optics of the imaging platform during exposure, and performing digital image correction. | 10-21-2010 |
20110037003 | MULTI-AXIS ARTICULATED SOLAR LIGHT SHADE FOR SPACE-BASED SENSORS - In one or more embodiments, a multi-axis articulated solar light shade that protects elements of a space-based sensor from direct solar illumination includes a base; a partial conical baffle tube having a first end portion, a second end portion, an elongated curved portion defining a shade between the first and second end portions, and an opening defined in an interior of the elongated curved portion, the first end portion rotatably attached to the base; and a visor pivotably attached to the second end portion. The partial conical baffle tube may be selectively rotated about a sensor line-of-sight in response to the sun's position relative to the sensor line-of-sight; and the visor may be selectively pivoted relative to the partial conical baffle tube in response to the sun's position relative to the sensor line-of-sight so as to protect the sensor from the direct solar illumination at any given time or any given orbital position. | 02-17-2011 |
20110085235 | ALL-REFLECTIVE RELAYED FOCAL TELESCOPE DERIVED FROM THE FIRST TWO MIRRORS OF AN AFOCAL THREE-MIRROR ANASTIGMAT - An optical system includes a primary mirror of a positive-powered concave substantially paraboloidal configuration configured to reflect light incident thereupon; a secondary mirror of a negative-powered convex hyperboloidal configuration facing the primary mirror configured to receive the light reflected from the primary mirror and redirect the light reflected from the primary mirror; a positive-powered tertiary mirror configured to substantially reimage and reflect divergent light rays incident from the secondary mirror; and a powered quaternary mirror configured to receive the reimaged light rays from the tertiary mirror, and to relay the received reimaged light rays to a focal point. | 04-14-2011 |
20110228383 | BROAD SPECTRAL TELESCOPE - An optical assembly includes: a first lens comprising a crown material; a second lens comprises a primary flint material for wavelengths below about 1.0 um; and a third lens comprising a secondary flint material for wavelengths below about 1.0 um, wherein the first, second and third lenses together are configured to transmit light and function in the visible, mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some implementations, the optical assembly may be configured as an afocal Galilean telescope having an objective lens assembly and a eyepiece lens assembly. | 09-22-2011 |
20110228386 | LOW ORDER ADAPTIVE OPTICS BY TRANSLATING SECONDARY MIRROR OF OFF-APERTURE TELESCOPE - In one or more embodiments, a beam control apparatus and method for correcting aberrations include an off-aperture telescope configured to receive a beam of electromagnetic energy, wherein the telescope includes a first optical element and a second optical element. The second optical element is configured to be translated in three orthogonal axes, and a wavefront error sensor is configured to detect aberrations in the beam and to provide a wavefront error signal in response thereto. A processor is configured to provide a correction signal in response to the wavefront error signal, and an actuator is coupled to the second optical element and configured, in response to the wavefront error signal, to selectively translate the second optical element in one or more of three substantially orthogonal directions corresponding to the three orthogonal axes. | 09-22-2011 |
20110267615 | OPTICAL SPECTROMETER WITH WIDE FIELD OF VIEW FORE-OPTICS - Various embodiments provide an optical system including an optical spectrometer, a first negative power mirror configured and arranged to receive radiation from a far-field object, a second positive power mirror configured and arranged to receive radiation reflected by the first negative power mirror, and a third positive power mirror configured and arranged to receive radiation reflected by the second positive mirror and to direct the radiation towards an entrance slit of the optical spectrometer. | 11-03-2011 |
20120026382 | WIDE FIELD OF VIEW LWIR HIGH SPEED IMAGER - Various embodiments provide an optical system including a first lens group having a plurality of lenses, the first lens group being configured to correct for an axial chromatic aberration; a second lens group having a least one lens, the second lens group being disposed adjacent the first lens group; and a third lens group having a plurality of lenses, the third lens group being configured to correct for a lateral chromatic aberration and field curvature, the third lens group being disposed adjacent the second lens group. The first, second and third lens groups are configured to provide a wide field of view greater than approximately 20 deg., and an f-number of less than approximately F/2 in a wavelength range between approximately 8 μm and approximately 12 μm. | 02-02-2012 |
20120057223 | DUAL FIELD OF VIEW REFRACTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEM WITH EXTERNAL PUPIL AND INTERNAL STABILIZATION - Various embodiments provide an optical system including a first lens group including a plurality of lenses, the first lens group being configured to correct for lateral chromatic aberration; and a second lens group including a plurality of lenses, the second lens group being configured to correct for axial chromatic aberration, the second lens group being disposed adjacent the first lens group. The optical system further includes a detector disposed behind the second lens group; a mechanism for switching a configuration of the optical system between a narrow field of view (NFOV) configuration and a wide field of view (WFOV) configuration; and a ray path steering system disposed in front of the first lens group, the ray path steering system comprising a pair of counter-rotating grisms configured to enhance a field of regard of the optical system. The optical system also includes a stabilization system configured to suppress image jitter, the stabilization system including a mechanism for decentering at least one lens in the first lens group or in the second lens group orthogonal to an optical axis of the optical system. A pupil of the optical system is located external to the first and second lens groups for location of a cold shield within a cryo-vac Dewar enclosing the detector. | 03-08-2012 |
20120081705 | TWO MATERIAL ACHROMATIC PRISM - A spectrometer comprises a detector array and a prism. The prism comprises a first prism element comprising a substantially crystalline crown material, and a second prism element contacting the first prism element, the second prism element comprising a substantially crystalline flint material. The spectrometer further includes optics configured to direct light at least twice through the prism. The prism is configured to disperse light received from the optics at an incident angle therethrough into constituent spectra in visible and infrared wavelength bands that are dispersed from the prism at angles offset from the incident angle. The constituent spectra are directed onto the detector array with approximately equal dispersion across the visible and infrared wavelength bands. Among other things, desirable material selections for the first and second prism elements are also disclosed. | 04-05-2012 |
20120081706 | TWO MATERIAL ACHROMATIC PRISM - A spectrometer comprises a detector array and a prism. The prism comprises a first prism element comprising a substantially crystalline crown material, and a second prism element contacting the first prism element, the second prism element comprising a substantially crystalline flint material. The spectrometer further includes optics configured to direct light at least twice through the prism. The prism is configured to disperse light received from the optics at an incident angle therethrough into constituent spectra in visible and infrared wavelength bands that are dispersed from the prism at angles offset from the incident angle. The constituent spectra are directed onto the detector array with approximately equal dispersion across the visible and infrared wavelength bands. Among other things, desirable material selections for the first and second prism elements are also disclosed. | 04-05-2012 |
20120087028 | ANAMORPHIC RELAYED IMAGER HAVING MULTIPLE ROTATIONALLY SYMMETRIC POWERED MIRRORS - Various embodiments provide an optical system including a plurality of mirrors, each mirror having a rotational axis of symmetry; and a detector configured to detect an image formed by the plurality of mirrors. The plurality of mirrors are configured to scan an object space along a first direction. The plurality of mirrors are configured and arranged so that a focal length of the plurality of mirrors along the first direction is greater than a focal length of the plurality of mirrors in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction so as to obtain a ratio of anamorphism greater than approximately 1.5. | 04-12-2012 |
20120176671 | WIDE SPECTRAL COVERAGE ROSS CORRECTED CASSEGRAIN-LIKE TELESCOPE - Various embodiments provide a Cassegrain-like telescope. The Cassegrain-like telescope includes a primary mirror; a secondary mirror spaced apart from the primary mirror, the primary mirror and the second mirror configured to form a focal surface; and an optical aberrations corrector having a plurality of lenses, the optical aberrations corrector being disposed between the secondary mirror and the focal surface, the optical aberration corrector being configured to correct optical aberrations of the primary mirror and the secondary mirror. A material of the plurality of lenses is selected to transmit radiation in a wavelength range between approximately 0.4 μm and approximately 12 μm, and is selected to have variations in refractive index below about 0.05 so as to reduce chromatic aberration to a level such that an average root mean square of wave front error (RMS WFE) is less than approximately 0.08. | 07-12-2012 |
20120229914 | DUAL FIELD OF VIEW REFRACTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR GEO SYNCHRONOUS EARTH ORBIT - Various embodiments provide an optical system including a first lens group having a plurality of lenses; a second lens group having a plurality of lenses, the second lens group being disposed adjacent the first lens group; a third lens group having a plurality of lenses, the third lens group being disposed adjacent the second lens group; and a detector disposed behind the third lens group. A pupil of the optical system is located external to the first lens group, the second lens group and the third lens group. The second lens group is movable respective to the first lens group and the third lens group so as to convert a configuration of the optical system between a narrow field of view (NFOV) configuration and a wide field of view (WFOV) configuration. | 09-13-2012 |
20120292482 | MULTI-FUNCTION AIRBORNE SENSOR SYSTEM - Various embodiments provide a sensor system including a first optical sub-system having a first plurality of optical elements, and a second optical sub-system having a second plurality of optical elements including a first mirror. The second optical sub-system is configured to rotate about a first axis relative to the first optical sub-system and the first mirror is configured to rotate about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis. The first axis and the second axis are arranged so as not to intersect each other so as to maximize a field of regard of the sensor system. | 11-22-2012 |
20130027699 | LOW DISTORTION SPECTROMETER - An imaging assembly for a spectrometer includes a substrate with first and second modules thereon containing respective arrays of detector elements positioned so the arrays are elongated along a first axis with a gap therebetween. A third module including a third array of detector elements is also thereon, spaced from the first axis, at least as long as the gap, and smaller than the elongation of either of the first or second arrays. Further thereon are first and second slits elongated along a second axis spaced from and generally parallel to the first axis, each being at least as long as the respective arrays. A third slit at least as long as the gap is also therein, spaced from the first axis, second axis, and third array such that the gap, third slit, and third array are generally along a third axis generally perpendicular to the first and second axis. | 01-31-2013 |
20130077157 | ULTRA COMPACT INVERSE TELEPHOTO OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR USE IN THE IR SPECTRUM - An infrared imaging optical system for focusing infrared radiation on an infrared detector, including: a front lens group having a negative optical power to receive infrared radiation and including a first front lens and a second front lens each with at least one aspherical surface; an intermediate lens group that receives the infrared radiation from the front lens group and includes a first intermediate lens, a second intermediate lens, and a third intermediate lens each with at least one aspherical surface; and a rear lens group having positive optical power, wherein the rear lens group receives the infrared radiation from the intermediate lens group and includes a first rear lens and a second rear lens each with at least one aspherical surface, and a third rear lens, wherein the imaging optical system has a stop between the rear lens group and a focal plane at said infrared detector. | 03-28-2013 |
20130105671 | FACETED RETRO-MIRROR FOR LINE-OF-SIGHT JITTER SENSING | 05-02-2013 |
20130114156 | DERIVED ALL-REFLECTIVE AFOCAL OPTICAL SYSTEM WITH ASPHERIC FIGURED BEAM STEERING MIRROR - An all-reflective afocal optical system including an aspheric beam steering mirror positioned at an exit pupil of the afocal optical system. In one example, an all-reflective afocal optical imaging system includes a sensor, a afocal optical apparatus including a plurality of minors optically coupled together and configured to receive light rays through an entrance pupil of the afocal optical imaging system and to substantially collimate the light rays to provide a collimated optical beam to an exit pupil, and an aspheric beam steering mirror positioned at the exit pupil and configured to receive the collimated optical beam and to direct the collimated optical beam to the sensor. | 05-09-2013 |
20130146771 | COLD-SHIELDED INFRARED DISPERSIVE SPECTROMETER WITH ALL AMBIENT OPTICS - A dispersive infrared spectrometer in which only a minimum number of optical components, for example, the detector sub-system only, are housed within a cold/cryogenic dewar and the remaining optical components are at ambient temperature during operation of the spectrometer. In one example, the spectrometer includes a slit substrate with a highly reflective surface, and the optical components of the spectrometer are configured and arranged such that for all in-band wavelengths, substantially all off-slit optical paths in the detector field of view are retro-reflected off the reflective surface of the slit substrate into the cryogenic dewar. | 06-13-2013 |
20130187047 | FULL-FIELD GEO IMAGER OPTICS WITH EXTENDED SPECTRAL COVERAGE - A wide field-of-view infrared optical imaging system with extended spectral coverage into the 1.0 to 2.5 μm wavelength range. In one example, an optical imaging system includes an imaging detector sensitive to light in a wavelength range of at least 1.0 μm to 5.0 μm, and a plurality of lenses optically coupled together and configured to focus incoming light onto the imaging detector, the plurality of lenses each comprised of a material that is transparent to the light in the wavelength range of at least 1.0 μm to 5.0 μm, wherein a pupil of the optical imaging system is located external to the plurality of lenses between the plurality of lenses and the imaging detector. | 07-25-2013 |
20130284886 | RADIATION SHIELDED REFLECTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEM - A radiation shielded optical system. In one example, a radiation shielded optical system includes a labyrinthine housing having an entrance and defining a cavity, a detector positioned within the cavity of the housing, the housing configured to provide substantially 4-pi steradian radiation shielding for the detector. The optical system further includes a rear-stopped optical sub-system having a rear aperture stop positioned proximate the entrance of the housing and configured to direct an optical beam through the rear aperture stop and the entrance into the housing, and a fold mirror positioned within the housing and configured to reflect the optical beam onto the detector. | 10-31-2013 |
20130335565 | SELF-CORRECTING ADAPTIVE LONG-STARE ELECTRO-OPTICAL SYSTEM - An imaging platform minimizes image distortion when there is relative motion of the imaging platform with respect to the scene being imaged where the imaging platform may be particularly susceptible to distortion when it is configured with a wide field of view or high angular rate of movement, or when performing long-stares at a given scene (e.g., for nighttime and low-light imaging.) Distortion correction may be performed by predicting distortion due to the relative motion of the imaging platform, determining optical transformations to prevent the distortion, dynamically adjusting the optics of the imaging platform during exposure, and performing digital image correction. | 12-19-2013 |
20130335839 | ALL REFLECTIVE REAL PUPIL TELECENTRIC IMAGER - A reflective optical form that has both a telecentric image and a real entrance pupil. In one example, a non-relayed optical imaging system includes a real entrance pupil configured to admit a beam of electromagnetic radiation, an image plane, and a reflective triplet including a negative primary mirror, a positive secondary mirror optically coupled to the primary mirror, a negative tertiary mirror optically coupled to the secondary mirror, the reflective triplet configured to receive the beam of electromagnetic radiation from the real entrance pupil and to focus the beam of electromagnetic radiation onto the image plane to form a telecentric image at the image plane. | 12-19-2013 |
20140071449 | HIGH EFFICIENCY MULTI-CHANNEL SPECTROMETER - A multi-channel imaging spectrometer and method of use thereof. One example of the multi-channel imaging spectrometer includes a single entrance slit, a double pass reflective triplet and at least a pair of diffraction gratings. The spectrometer is configured to receive and collimate an input beam from the entrance slit, to split the collimated beam into two spectral sub-bands using a beamsplitter, and to direct each sub-band to one of the pair of diffraction gratings. The diffraction gratings are each configured to disperse the received portion of the collimated beam into its constituent colors, and redirect the dispersed outputs through the reflective triplet to be imaged into an image sensor located at a focal plane aligned with the entrance slit. | 03-13-2014 |
20140078492 | MULTI-BAND IMAGING SPECTROMETER - One embodiment disclosed is a spectrometry system for collecting spatially and temporally co-registered hyperspectral data covering multiple spectral bands. The spectrometry system includes a single entrance slit for receiving light and a plurality of disperser elements operating over a plurality of distinct spectral bands to disperse the received light into constituent spectral channels. The system also includes a plurality of collimating and imaging optic elements that receive and re-image the dispersed light. The system also includes at least two focal plane arrays affixed in a common plane and configured to receive the re-imaged dispersed light, each of the at least two focal plane arrays being dedicated to sensing a distinct spectral band of the dispersed light. | 03-20-2014 |
20140139926 | REFRACTIVE OPTICS WITH BROAD SPECTRAL COVERAGE - A multi-band refractive optical imaging system. In one example, the system includes a plurality of lenses configured to receive and propagate electromagnetic radiation in at least the visible spectral band and the longwave infrared (LWIR) spectral band, the plurality of lenses including a first group of lenses of a first crown material, at least one lens of a first flint material, and at least one lens of a second material different than the first crown material and the first flint material. The plurality of lenses includes at least one crown-flint pair configured as an achromat to provide color correction in the visible and/or LWIR spectral bands. The system also includes a first beamsplitter configured to separate the electromagnetic radiation into the visible spectral band and the LWIR spectral band, and a rear external aperture stop positioned between the plurality of lenses and the first beamsplitter. | 05-22-2014 |
20150028194 | FOUR-AXIS GIMBALED AIRBORNE SENSOR - An optical sensor assembly in which a four axis gimbal and dual coelostat mirror configuration provide pointing of the sensor line of sight in azimuth and elevation, stabilized for platform pitch. One example of a sensor system includes a first optical sub-system including a first plurality of optical elements, and a second optical sub-system configured to rotate about a first axis relative to the first optical sub-system. The second optical sub-system includes afocal foreoptics configured to direct a collimated beam of electromagnetic radiation to the first optical sub-system, a first coelostat minor configured to rotate about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and a second coelostat mirror configured to rotate about a third axis substantially perpendicular to both the first axis and the second axis, and to receive electromagnetic radiation reflected by the first coelostat minor and to direct the electromagnetic radiation to the afocal foreoptics. | 01-29-2015 |