Abstract: An optical slip ring assembly involving a small diameter transmitter accurately spaced with respect to a plurality of detectors arranged in a predetermined pattern operates to transmit a signal across an air gap between two relatively rotating members.

Abstract: Position responsive apparatus for determining the proper characteristics of an object within its field of view utilizing a pair of crossed detector arrays, one of which operates to detect the position of an image of the object as it moves in a first direction with respect to a first of the arrays and the other of which observes the desired characteristic of the object at successive positions of the image.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a preamplier used with each pyroelectric detector in an infrared imaging array system. To construct each preamplifier and an associated detector in a dense detector array, solid state manufacturing techniques are utilized. To bias the preamplifier either a high bias impedance is effectively provided by doping the material from which the detector is made; or a MOSFET bias switch is provided that is periodically operated to place charge on the gate of the preamplifier transistor to maintain it at its bias level. When the bias switch is not operated, the associated detector detects and a reading is taken from each detector in the array.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a preamplifier used with each pyroelectric detector in an infrared imaging array system. The preamplifier transistor is a MOSFET transistor that can operate with zero volts between its source and gate terminals, and the preamplifier is biased either by a nonconducting diode that provides a high biasing impedance while the bias voltage is low enough to keep the diode below its conduction voltage; or an NPN transistor switch is periodically operated to place charge on the gate of the preamplifier transistor to maintain it at its bias level. When the bias transistor is not operated, the associated detector detects and a detector reading is taken from each detector in the array. NPN transistor switches can be manufactured consistently and their conduction level can be adjusted to balance the gain of all preamplifiers in the detector array.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for creating an aperture between the lenslets of a lenslet array, which lenslet array has been produced by a process that leaves at least partially opaque barriers between the lenslets, comprising utilizing a photoresist over the entire surface of the lenslets and the spaces therebetween and shining ultraviolet light from the back of the array so that light exposes the photoresist in the lenslet portions and not in the areas therebetween.

Abstract: A helmet mounted display in which a filter receives rays of light at various angles of incidence from an image to be superimposed on the scene being viewed by the operator and reflects these rays to a second surface where the rays are re-reflected through the filter and to the eye of the observer characterized in that the filter is coated in such a manner that it reflects from each position on its surface rays from the image that strike at predetermined angles of incidence but which transmits at each position rays which are received from the second surface.

Abstract: A proximity detection system which detects the presence of highly specular surfaces which could produce erroneous indications for the system and suppresses them so that they will not affect the system adversely.

Abstract: A web storage and handling system employing two concentric rings of rollers. The web is wound around the outer of the concentric arrangement and therefrom wound around the inner of the concentric arrangement. From the inner of the concentric arrangement the web passes over two canted idlers to be removed from the plane of the concentric rings to permit viewing and final storage.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a preamplifier used with each pyroelectric detector in an infrared imaging array system. To bias the preamplifiers either a MOSFET transistor is utilized as a switch that is periodically operated to place charge on the gate of the MOSFET preamplifier transistor to maintain it at its bias level, or an NPN transistor is operated at a level to provide high impedance. When the bias switch is not operated, the associated detector detects and a reading is taken from each detector in the array. NPN transistor switches can be manufactured consistently and their conduction level can be adjusted to balance the gain of all preamplifiers in the detector array. The supply voltage to the preamplifiers in the array is monitored by a feedback circuit which compares a supply voltage to a reference voltage and adjusts the preamplifier bias voltage to compensate for changes in the supply voltage.

Abstract: A radiation spot position sensor utilizing a diffuse material upon which a spot of radiation impinges and diffuses from that point outwardly along the material to the two ends thereof in a proportion indicative of the linear position of the spot along the sensor so as to be detected by radiation sensing devices located at the ends to produce and output that can be used to determine the linear position of the spot.

Abstract: A viewing system for utilizing a linear array of detectors so that they may view the remote object in two separate directions by use of mirrors to reflect energy from the object to the row of detectors.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for suppressing high frequency components in a scene being viewed and particularly components in access of the Nyquist frequency for use in autofocus camera work so as to maximize the use of the low frequency components.

Abstract: A surface position sensor in which energy is directed along an axis to the surface, is reflected back along the axis, and is focused on an elongated detector at a position along its length indicative of the distance to the surface.

Abstract: An automatic faucet control including a radiation emitter directing radiation into the area of a sink where hands are to be washed and a detector positioned to receive radiation reflected from the hands to activate the water supply. The flow of water terminates when the hands are removed.

Abstract: A device for measuring the distance to a surface comprising first and second energy emitting sources positioned at two different distances with respect to the surface and driven by a signal which is of common frequency, but which is of different phase from one another. The beams produced by the two energy sources are reflected from the surface and the resultant vector sum of the beams received by an energy responsive detector is used to produce a resultant signal which has a phase that varies with the distance to the remote surface.

Abstract: An alignment and focusing aid to assure that a detector array receives a properly focused image from a predetermined desired area of a remote object by providing an elongated radiation source located at an optical position indicative of the location of the detector array using a partly reflective mirror in the path between the object and the array to project radiation from the source to the object so that the proper focus condition and the desired area may be adjusted by focusing and positioning the image of the radiation source on the object.

Abstract: A device for measuring the distance to a surface comprising a pulsed energy emitting source positioned to direct energy to the remote surface and first and second energy responsive detectors to receive energy reflected from the surface with the detectors being arranged at different distances so that the output of the detectors can be compared to produce a resultant which is indicative of the distance to the surface.

Abstract: An opto-electronic package in which the cover of the package is made so as to have the optical components including lenslets, filters and masks as part thereof so that the assembly of the package may be simplified and that problems associated with different indices of thermal expansion among the parts is reduced.

Abstract: A system for improving the operation of an autofocus circuit under high intensity light situations by controlling the "start" time of a plurality of detectors directly from a computer rather than through a clock which is limited in its ability to "start" by the phases of signals it generates.

Abstract: A digital auto focus system includes first and second detector arrays which receive first and second detection images of an object. The detection images are displaced by a number n of detectors depending upon the distance between the object and the detector arrays. The output signals of the detector arrays are processed to provide a signal indicative of the number n. This signal may be used, for example, to control the position of a lens in a photographic system.