Patents Represented by Attorney John J. Morrissey
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Patent number: 5103492Abstract: An optical signal propagated through a poled-polymer input channel waveguide can be switched to a selected one of a pair of poled-polymer output channel waveguides, while producing only very low cross-talk in the unselected one of the output channel waveguides. The input and output channel waveguides are located within a non-linear optical polymer structure so that an end portion of the input channel waveguide is disposed between end portions of the two output channel waveguides. A first pair of electrodes is positioned so as to apply an electric field across one of the output channel waveguides, and a second pair of electrodes is positioned so as to apply an electric field across the other of the output channel waveguides.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 1990Date of Patent: April 7, 1992Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventor: Anthony J. Ticknor
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Patent number: 5100589Abstract: A channel waveguide is integrally formed within a structure made of a non-linear optical polymer by focussing a beam of optical radiation into a specified region within the structure where the channel waveguide is to be located. The focussed beam of optical radiation raises the temperature of the polymer in the specified region to above the glass-transition temperature for the polymer. A poling electric field is applied to the structure to cause molecular alignment of the polymer to occur in the specified region of the structure. Then the beam of optical radiation is removed while the poling electric field is maintained, thereby maintaining molecular alignment of the polymer in the specified region as the temperature of the specified region falls below the glass-transition temperature. A change in index of refraction of the polymer in the specified region of the structure due to the molecular alignment of the polymer in the specified region enables the specified region to function as a channel waveguide.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 1989Date of Patent: March 31, 1992Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventor: Anthony J. Ticknor
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Patent number: 5090803Abstract: An optical coordinate transfer assembly provides angular correlation between spatially separated objects. In a particular embodiment of the invention, roll, pitch and yaw of a second directional device 12 relative to a first directional device 11 can be measured (and correction and/or compensation therefor can be made) using an optical alignment sensor 20 mounted on the first directional device 11 and a rooftop-mirror/lens assembly 21 mounted on the second directional device 12. Light beams projected from the optical alignment sensor 20 are reflected by reflector devices 35 and 36 on the rooftop-mirror/lens assembly 21 to linear arrays 69, 70 and 78 of photodetectors, which generate electronic signals indicating angular discrepancies between the orientations of the first and second directional devices 11 and 12 in three degrees of freedom to sub-microradian accuracy over a wide range of measurements.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 1990Date of Patent: February 25, 1992Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventors: Lawrence L. Ames, Calvin W. Gillard, Neal E. Buholz
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Patent number: 5089910Abstract: A catadioptric zoom relay telescope with an aspherical primary mirror and only three movable lens elements focuses all wavelengths in a broad infrared bandwidth onto a common focal plane with substantially diffraction-limited imagery throughout a changing focal ratio (i.e., a zoom range) from less than f/1.5 to more than f/6.0.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 1990Date of Patent: February 18, 1992Assignee: Lookheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventor: Robert D. Sigler
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Patent number: 5068869Abstract: A surface-emitting semiconductor laser diode has a vertical multilayer active region and a lateral buried heterojunction. Effective carrier confinement to the active region is achieved, thereby permitting laser action at room temperature under continuous-wave operation with a low threshold current of about 2 mA.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 1988Date of Patent: November 26, 1991Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventors: Shing C. Wang, Mutsuo Ogura, Shyh Wang, Wei Hsin
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Patent number: 5051146Abstract: A chemical etching technique is described for providing longitudinally extending capillary grooves of variable cross-sectional dimension on the interior surface of a heat pipe.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 1990Date of Patent: September 24, 1991Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventors: Michael R. Kapolnek, Alexander R. Feild, Robert T. Hartle, Hillard R. Holmes
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Patent number: 5047788Abstract: The figure of an unfurled antenna comprising a radio-frequency reflective fabric (10) is mapped and controlled by a system comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices (14, 15) mounted at precisely specified locations on ribs (11), which support the fabric (10). Light from each of the light-emitting devices (14, 15) passes through a corresponding window assembly (16) on a hub (12), which support the ribs (11) and also houses a telescope of the Schmidt-Cassegrain type. A biconical reflector (27) mounted within the hub (12) directs rays of light from all the light-emitting devices (14, 15) to a primary mirror (21) of the telescope, from which the rays are reflected to a secondary mirror (22), which focuses the rays so as to form images on photodetector arrays (31) and (32). The images formed on the photodetector arrays (31) and (32) are swaths of light, which cross the photodetector arrays (31) and (32) at positions determined by the actual positions of the light-emitting devices (14, 15).Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1989Date of Patent: September 10, 1991Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventor: Calvin W. Gillard
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Patent number: 5039189Abstract: A network for distributing a set of independent high-frequency electrical signals comprises an optical rail waveguide that is fed with a measured amount of optical power from a single source, and a set of optical railtaps positioned at sequential locations along the optical rail waveguide. Each optical railtap functions to extract a corresponding specified fraction of the measured amount of optical power from the optical rail waveguide when a corresponding one of the independent electrical signals is applied thereto. The fractions of the measured amount of optical power extracted from the optical rail waveguide at the corresponding sequential locations along the optical rail waveguide constitute a set of independent high-frequency optical signals, which correspond to the independent high-frequency electrical signals.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 1990Date of Patent: August 13, 1991Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventors: Richard S. Lytel, Anthony J. Ticknor
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Patent number: 5033831Abstract: A family of achromatic lens triplets and an apochromatic lens triplet are described, each of which consists of a fluidal liquid lens element (viz., Cargille 550206 liquid) contained between a Schott BK 7 glass lens element and a Schott F2 glass lens element.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 1990Date of Patent: July 23, 1991Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventor: Robert D. Sigler
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Patent number: 5024530Abstract: Optical radiation generated by an auroral event is gathered by a fish-eye optical objective (12, 21, 22) and focussed by a telecentric lens (23) to a focal region where a two-passband filter (24) is located. The filter (24) passes two narrow bands of optical radiation, each band of which is centered on a specified wavelength. Rays in the two specified wavelengths are passed by a condenser lens (25) and a collimator lens (26) through an aperture stop in which a blocking filter (27) is located. The blocking filter (27) comprises two side-by-side half-size filters, each of which transmits a corresponding one and suppresses the other of the two specified wavelengths. A prism (28) diffracts rays each of the specified wavelengths by a different amount so that separated images in the two specified wavelengths are formed. A reimaging lens (29) relays the separate images to correspondingly different portions of a detector (30).Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 1989Date of Patent: June 18, 1991Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventor: Stephen B. Mende
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Patent number: 5020889Abstract: A method is described for selecting optical materials to use in designing color-corrected optical systems. Various dioptric, catadioptric and anamorphic optical systems are described, which use only two different types of optical materials to obtain precise axial color correction at three, four or five wavelengths (depending upon the particular optical materials), with only very small chromatic aberration occurring at wavelengths between the precisely color-corrected wavelengths. Examples of color-corrected lens systems comprising more than two glasses are also described.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 1989Date of Patent: June 4, 1991Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventors: Romeo I. Mercado, Paul N. Robb
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Patent number: 5010951Abstract: A heat pipe and chemical etching technique is described for providing longitudinally extending capillary grooves of variable cross-sectional dimension on the interior surface of the heat pipe.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 1989Date of Patent: April 30, 1991Assignee: Lockhead Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventors: Michael R. Kapolnek, Alexander R. Feild, Robert T. Hartle, Hillard R. Holmes
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Patent number: 5007696Abstract: A three-dimensional electro-optic waveguide is formed as a channel in a structure made of an organic non-linear optical polymer. A poling electric field is maintained in a portion of the polymer structure defining the channel, and the polymer structure is heated above the glass-transition temperature to enable dipolar moieties of the polymer to become aligned by the poling field. Heating continues until the dipolar moieties are sufficiently aligned to produce a higher index of refraction in the channel portion than in adjacent cladding portions of the polymer structure for at least one polarization of optical radiation propagating through the channel. The poling field is maintained as the polymer structure is then cooled below glass-transition temperature, thereby preserving alignment of the dipolar moieties (and hence preserving the differential index of refraction) in the channel portion of the polymer structure. Guided modes of optical radiation of at least one polarization can be supported in the channel.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 1990Date of Patent: April 16, 1991Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventors: John I. Thackara, George F. Lipscomb, Hyun-Nam Yoon, Ronald N. De Martino
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Patent number: 5006285Abstract: A three-dimensional electro-optic waveguide is formed as a channel in a structure made of an organic non-linear optical polymer. A poling electric field is maintained in a portion of the polymer structure defining the channel, and the polymer structure is heated above the glass-transition temperature to enable dipolar moieties of the polymer to become aligned by the poling field. Heating continues until the dipolar moieties are sufficiently aligned to produce a higher index of refraction in the channel portion than in adjacent cladding portions of the polymer structure for at least one polarization of optical radiation propagating through the channel. The poling field is maintained as the polymer structure is then cooled below glass-transition temperature, thereby preserving alignment of the dipolar moieties (and hence preserving the differential index of refraction) in the channel portion of the polymer structure. Guided modes of optical radiation of at least one polarization can be supported in the channel.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 1988Date of Patent: April 9, 1991Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventors: John I. Thackara, George F. Lipscomb, Hyun-Nam Yoon, Ronald N. De Martino
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Patent number: 5000548Abstract: A finite conjugate imaging system useful as a microscope objective comprises four lens elements (10), (11), (12), and (13) disposed coaxially along an optic axis. Lens elements (10) and (12) are made of Hoya LAC7 glass, and lens elements (11) and (13) are made of calcium fluoride crystal. The radii of curvature of the lens elements and the separations between adjacent lens elements are prescribed so as to obtain color correction of the system at five discrete wavelengths.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 1988Date of Patent: March 19, 1991Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventor: Romeo I. Mercado
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Patent number: 4989319Abstract: A chemical etching technique provides longitudinally extending capillary grooves of variable cross-sectional dimension on the interior surface of a heat pipe.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 1990Date of Patent: February 5, 1991Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventors: Michael R. Kapolnek, Alexander R. Feild, Robert T. Hartle, Hillard R. Holmes
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Patent number: 4966448Abstract: An apochromatic lens system consisting of four identical glass lens elements and a liquid lens element is disclosed, which has a change in focus of less than one-quarter wavelength over the entire visible spectrum. The glass lens elements and the liquid lens element are made from relatively inexpensive commercially available optical materials.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 1989Date of Patent: October 30, 1990Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventor: Paul N. Robb
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Patent number: 4958919Abstract: A technique is described for designing color-corrected lens systems using liquid lens elements to achieve compatibility with glass or crystal lens elements for obtaining color correction at three or more wavelengths.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 1989Date of Patent: September 25, 1990Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventor: Robert D. Sigler
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Patent number: 4950041Abstract: Lens triplets (two achromats and a apochromat) are disclosed that are well-corrected for chromatic aberration and for spherochromatism. Each triplet comprises two identical acrylic lens elements and a liquid lens element.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 1989Date of Patent: August 21, 1990Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, IncInventor: Paul N. Robb
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Patent number: RE33438Abstract: A mechanism for coupling a strut (30) to a nodal element (32) comprises a female coupling fixture (31) and a male coupling fixture (33). The female coupling fixture (31) includes an elongate cylindrical member (35), a distal end of which is hemicylindrically configured with an inner surface that is contoured to receive a conjugately contoured knob on a distal end of the male coupling fixture (33) in mating engagement. The female coupling fixture (31) also includes a sleeve (36), which is slidable coaxially from an OPEN position around an intermediate portion of the cylindrical member (35) to a LOCKED position around the matingly engaged distal ends of the cylindrical member (35) and the male coupling fixture (33). Spring-biases locking bars (50) and (51) maintain the sleeve (36) in the LOCKED position.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 1989Date of Patent: November 13, 1990Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.Inventor: James P. Stewart