Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090052023 | Dual field of view sighting system - A dual field of view sighting system uses liquid crystals, flip-polarizers and/or flip-mirrors to select between at least two fields of view. | 02-26-2009 |
20090168137 | BROAD SPECTRAL RANGE POLARIZATION ROTATOR - A switchable apochromatic polarization rotator is provided. A first fixed waveplate has a first principal axis fixed in a first orientation. A second fixed waveplate has a second principal axis fixed in a second orientation. First and second switchable waveplates have principal axes oriented such that broad spectral range electromagnetic radiation transmitted through all of the waveplates has a first rotated polarization, wherein, in response to one or more control signals applied to the switchable waveplates, the principal axes of the switchable waveplates rotate such that the electromagnetic radiation transmitted through all of the waveplates has a second rotated polarization. The switchable waveplates utilize ferroelectric liquid crystal material, nematic liquid crystal material, or be mechanically rotated to adjust for orientation of their principal axes. Utilizing waveplates as described may be used to tune for a desired spectral range and/or compensate for temperature dependencies. | 07-02-2009 |
20090237662 | REAL-TIME, HYBRID AMPLITUDE-TIME DIVISION POLARIMETRIC IMAGING CAMERA - This disclosure relates to a real-time, hybrid amplitude-time division polarimetric imaging camera used to derive and calculate Stokes parameters of input light. | 09-24-2009 |
20090285583 | SNR ENHANCEMENT IN MODULATING RETROREFLECTOR OPTICAL COMMUNICATION LINKS - An optical communication system may include a light transmission unit transmitting a light beam having a first polarization, a quarter waveplate to receive the light beam and to modify the light beam to have a second polarization, and a retroreflector to receive the light beam from the quarter waveplate and reflect the light beam to the quarter waveplate, which modifies the light beam to have a third polarization. The optical communication system may also include a half waveplate to modify the first polarization such that the first polarization is about 90 degrees rotated compared to the third polarization, and a polarizer to pass the light beam having the third polarization and to block most of the light beam having the first polarization. | 11-19-2009 |
20100078543 | COMPACT HIGH-SPEED THIN MICROMACHINED MEMBRANE DEFORMABLE MIRROR - Provided is a compact, high-speed deformable mirror for use with an adaptive optic. The mirror or wavefront correction device corrects and/or compensates for wavefront aberrations present in a wavefront received by the optics. The mirror includes a deformable membrane which may be made of a semiconductive, metallic or insulating material. Positioned in close proximity to a front surface of the membrane is a transparent conductor, which may be covered by a window having an anti-reflective coating. A plurality of electrostatic actuators is located in close proximity to a back surface of the membrane, the conductor and actuators separated by a gap of approximately 10 μm. In operation, a bias voltage is applied to the transparent conductor and an actuator voltage is applied to the plurality of actuators. The resultant voltage differential across the membrane defines the amount of membrane deformation, which in turn compensates for distortions in a subsequently reflected wavefront. | 04-01-2010 |
20100230577 | OPTICAL ANGLE OF ARRIVAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - An optical angle of arrival measurement system uses an optical element to form at least one narrow width line on a focal plane array (FPA) which is oblique with respect to the FPA's row and column axes and which traverses at least two rows or columns along its length; forming two perpendicular narrow width lines in a cross-pattern is preferred. Interpolating the position of the lines on the FPA provides coordinates that can be used to calculate the optical angle of arrival in accordance with θx=A(x)·tan | 09-16-2010 |
20130342841 | MOVING PLATFORM ORIENTATION TRACKING SYSTEM - An orientation tracking system for a moving platform includes a transmitter which generates an beam having a known polarization with respect to a predefined coordinate system. The moving platform includes an ellipsometric detector capable of detecting the polarized beam when within the line-of-sight of the transmitter, and measuring its polarization state. The polarization state indicates the rotational orientation of the moving platform with respect to the predefined coordinate system. The beam could also be used to convey guidance commands to the platform. | 12-26-2013 |
20140118723 | SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING THE SPATIAL ORIENTATION OF A MOVABLE APPARATUS - A system for determining the spatial orientation of a movable apparatus includes at least one optical angle-of-arrival (OAOA) sensor array, each of which comprises multiple OAOA sensors arranged to provide a 360° field-of-view (FOV). At least one sensor array is mounted on and has a known spatial relationship to a movable apparatus, the spatial orientation of which is to be determined. Point sources are located at one or more stationary positions within the FOV of at least one of the mounted arrays. An initial-north-finding/initial-vertical-finding (INF/INV) system determines the spatial orientation of at least one of the point sources. Processing circuitry coupled to the INF/INV system and the sensor arrays derives the spatial orientation of the mounted arrays—and thereby the spatial orientation of the apparatus—based on the angular positions of the stationary point sources detected by the mounted arrays. | 05-01-2014 |