Including Alternative Optical Path Or Optical Element (e.g., Day-night, Hi-low Magnification) Patents (Class 359/353)
  • Patent number: 5747170
    Abstract: A bombardment-inhibiting bulletproof glass pane for automobiles, composed of a plurality of silicate glass sheets (16, 17, 18, 19), connected together by thermoplastic intermediate layers (20, 21, 22). The pane may also comprise a silicate glass sheet (16) having a high absorption action in the spectral range from 780 to 1,200 nm. This silicate glass sheet (16) or another of the glass sheets (17, 18, 19) constituting the bulletproof glass pane may be provided, on one of its surfaces, with a partially reflecting surface coating (23), which has a high reflection in the spectral range of 780 to 1,200 nm. The bulletproof glass pane has, in total, a total light transmittance of less than 15%, and preferably of less than 10% in the spectral range from 780 to 1,200 nm. Bulletproof glass panes constructed in this manner offer a high security during night travel, because they are non-transparent to infrared sighting devices and noctovisers (night viewing devices).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Vitrage
    Inventors: Ulrich Von Alpen, M. Gerd Sauer
  • Patent number: 5737119
    Abstract: A thermal imaging device (10) receives thermal infrared radiation from a viewed scene and responsively provides a visible image replicating the viewed scene. The imaging device (10) has a main housing with an optical aperture (16) at which a lens assembly (12) is attached. The lens assembly (12) has a number of lenses (200, 204, 208, 212, 216) sequentially mounted within a cylindrical housing (146), and defining an optical axis (199). A field-of-view-change mechanism (228) allows a user to select a wide field of view or a narrow field of view. The field-of-view-change mechanism (228) includes a rotatable field-of-view (FOV) ring (226) which rotates a tumbler (210) with a pair of lenses (208, 212) mounted therein. The tumbler (210) is positioned between a first position providing a wide field of view and a second position providing a narrow field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Hughes Electronics
    Inventors: Gary Mladjan, Peter Menard
  • Patent number: 5726441
    Abstract: By giving an attention to the fact that the difference in the transmittance of solar radiation in the visible light region is small for each type of glass, even though the type of window glass is changed, the sensitivity ratio .alpha. of a sensor element 43a in a solar sensor 43 is set to be from 0.8 to 5 so that it has a spectral sensitivity closer to the visible light region in comparison with a conventional solar sensor. By this, the variation in the deviation of the sensor outputs depending on the types of the window glass is eliminated. Thus, a target sensor output corresponding to the amount of solar radiation can be attained without being influenced by the types of the glass, even when the transmittance for the wavelengths of sun light changes depending on the types of the glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Samukawa, Yuji Honda
  • Patent number: 5653034
    Abstract: A reflex sighting device for day and night sighting including a light collector assembly for providing illumination for a reticle pattern for sighting and having a fiber optic light collector section defined by an optical fiber arranged to receive ambient light directed radially inwardly into the optical fiber and having a lens for focusing the ambient light radially inwardly into the optical fiber and including an artificial light source for providing lighting for night time illumination of the reticle pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Trijicon, Inc.
    Inventor: Glyn A. J. Bindon
  • Patent number: 5557451
    Abstract: A method of processing documents involving: transporting the documents at high speed along a prescribed transport path past at least one image-lift site; scanning the entirety of respective document faces at the sites; providing an energy-shaping ate, disposed at each of the sites and acting to channel the imaging illumination energy there; and providing a heat-dissipation stage acting to extract infra-red energy therefrom and dissipate it so as to shield the sites; this heat-dissipation stage comprising an infra-red extraction unit that includes a selective reflector interrupting the beam path and adapted to divert infra-red energy as an infra-red beam along a second path; and an associated infra-red dissipation unit including multi-blade surface; disposed within an enclosure, adapted to receive the infra-red beams and to trap them and convert them to surface heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Unisys Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Copenhaver, Johan Bakker, John Vala
  • Patent number: 5548439
    Abstract: An infrared refractive reimaging afocal telescope (10) has an objective lens group (12), an eyepiece lens (14), and a switching lens group (16). The system (10) provides a plurality of magnification modes in a compact arrangement. Diffractive surfaces are provided on at least one of the objective lenses and the eyepiece lens. Also, the system (10) utilizes switching lenses (40, 42, 44, 46) to provide magnification changes. The diffractive surfaces provide chromatic aberration correction. The system provides for excellent image quality in all modes using a minimum number of lens elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Richard R. Smith
  • Patent number: 5513034
    Abstract: An optical arrangement includes an infrared imaging system operating in conjunction with a first beam having wavelengths less than 15 microns, and a coherent infrared source generating a second beam having wavelengths shorter than the first beam wavelengths. Also provided is an objective lens arrangement including an objective lens having an aperture formed in one side of the objective lens. A partially reflective member is located between the objective lens arrangement, and the imaging system and infrared source. A T.V. camera is provided for receiving an image through the objective lens aperture. The first beam is directed to the imaging system from a region being imaged, and the second beam is directed from the infrared source to the region being imaged. The respective beams are directed to the partially reflective member so as to cause the respective beams to pass through the objective lens along substantially the same optical path as each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1996
    Assignee: GEC Marconi Avionics (Holdings) Limited
    Inventors: Hillary G. Sillitto, Alison B. Lessels, Evan S. Cameron, Thomas B. Wilson
  • Patent number: 5497266
    Abstract: A day/night sight includes a visible-light first optical path and an invisible-light second optical path which are everywhere optically coaxial. The invisible-light second optical path leads to a detector or to an image intensifier tube for providing either an electrical signal or a visible image, respectively, in response to the invisible-light image. A third optical path for the visible image from the image intensifier tube is also everywhere optically coaxial with the first and second optical paths. A visible image produced from the electrical signal is introduced into the first optical path to thereafter be coaxial therewith. Consequently, a uniquely compact arrangement of the elements for the day/night sight is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry D. Owen
  • Patent number: 5481401
    Abstract: Light from a mercury lamp is focused by an objective lens system and is incident on a specimen to be examined. A focusing optical path of light reflected by the specimen is split into an optical path of an ultraviolet ray and an optical path of visible light by a dichroic mirror having wavelength selectivity. The ultraviolet ray is guided to an ultraviolet CCD camera. The ultraviolet CCD camera supplies a monochrome picture signal to a monochrome display through a first picture processor. On the other hand, the visible light is guided to a color CCD camera. The color CCD camera supplies a color picture signal to a color display through a second picture processor. Therefore, an ultraviolet picture of the specimen is displayed on the monochrome display at a high resolving power and a large magnification. At the same time, a color picture of the specimen is displayed on the color display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Kita, Shingo Kashima, Kazuo Shimizu
  • Patent number: 5455711
    Abstract: A coupling device and associated method for coupling an unassociated afocal optical assembly to a night vision apparatus in order to alter the optical power normally associated with the night vision. The coupling device includes two separate adapter rings that threadably connect to each other. The first adaptor ring is sized and shaped to threadably engage the night vision apparatus proximate the objective lens of the night vision apparatus. The second adaptor ring is sized and shaped to screw onto the output end of the afocal optical assembly. Accordingly, when the first adaptor ring is joined to the second adaptor ring, the output end of the afocal optical assembly is optically aligned with the objective lens of the night vision apparatus. Consequently, the afocal optical assembly enhances the optical power associated with the night vision apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Assignee: ITT Corporation
    Inventor: Gary L. Palmer
  • Patent number: 5448671
    Abstract: The present invention is an image intensifier assembly that includes a Generation III image intensifier tube coupled to a single piece fiber optic inverter expander element. The single optical couple to the fiber optic expander element greatly enhances the overall performance parameters of the Gen III tube, as compared to traditional relay lens assemblies. The present invention image intensifier assembly can be directly substituted for a Generation II image intensifier tube assembly in a given application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: ITT Corporation
    Inventors: Jack D. Wimmer, Mark S. Robinson
  • Patent number: 5426530
    Abstract: A lamp projecting a high-intensity optical beam of spectral radiation, with an IR-extracting (cooling) array including an IR-dissipating "black-box" arranged to receive IR and convert it to box-heat, plus an IR-diverting "hot-mirror" interposed along the beam to divert (only) the IR to this "black-box".
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: Unisys Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Copenhaver, Johan Bakker, John Vala
  • Patent number: 5349398
    Abstract: An ophthalmometer system is provided which includes a white light source for illuminating a cornea during surgery, along with an infrared light generator for imaging concentric rings onto the cornea and a detection system for receiving the reflected infrared rings and providing them to a display to enable the surgeon to see the corneal topology as indicated by the nonconcentricity or concentricity of the reflected rings. The surgeon can thus view the cornea topology concurrently with surgical operations on the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventor: Charles J. Koester
  • Patent number: 5295017
    Abstract: An adjustable masking mechanism for use in connection with the exposure of a sample to a beam of analytical radiation and a beam of viewing radiation that facilitates aligning the movable elements of the mask with the edges of the sample. Whereas the prior art mechanisms utilize materials that are opaque to both the analytical radiation and the viewing radiation, the present invention uses one or more movable elements that are substantially opaque to the analytical radiation and at least partially transmissive to at least a portion of the spectral range of the viewing radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1994
    Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: David C. Brown
  • Patent number: 5282082
    Abstract: A binocular-type optical device for night as well as day vision. A night vision optical device is located in a central body. The night vision optical device includes an optical path which is folded through a pair of opposed holes in a central body containing the night vision device. Two lateral bodies are affixed to the central body, each lateral body having a hole facing the holes in the central body. One of the lateral bodies faces an oblong hole in the central body, and is rotatable with respect to the central body. Each of the lateral bodies includes a day vision optical system having an objective at one end and an eyepiece at another end. A mirror contained in each lateral body are adjustable to permit either the folded night vision optical path or the day vision optical path to be received by a pair of common eyepieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 25, 1994
    Assignee: Thomson TRT Defense
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Espie, Gilbert Poulon
  • Patent number: 5229880
    Abstract: An infrared refractive reimaging afocal telescope (10) has an objective lens group (12), an eyepiece lens group (14), and a switching lens group (16). The system (10) provides a plurality of magnification modes in a compact arrangement. The system (10) utilizes lenses (40, 42, 44, 46) with diffractive surfaces to provide for magnification changes and chromatic aberration correction. The system provides for excellent image quality in all modes using a minimum number of lens elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Harvey M. Spencer, Lacy G. Cook
  • Patent number: 5212589
    Abstract: A lens system having discrete variations of focal length at discrete distances of radius outward from the optic axis for focussing light of plural wavelengths. The lens system which directs a laser beam onto a target for ablation or exposure applications includes one set of lens elements to handle short wavelength light used for ablation or exposure applications, and another set of lens elements to handle long wavelength light used for alignment applications. The lens system which provides for the ablation or exposure functions at short wavelength and for through-the-lens alignment at a longer wavelength and higher numerical aperture consists of three elements. Two outer lens elements are made entirely of fused quartz. An inner element disposed between the two outer lens is composed of any material such as optical glass. The inner lens element has a hole ground through its center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1993
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Douglas S. Goodman
  • Patent number: 5194986
    Abstract: A portable missile launcher has an optical system with a single lens (22) for receiving visible and near infrared light energy from a target (14) directing it to a prism (24) where the light is split into a part transmitted to an eyepiece (28) and a further part (30) to infrared tracking equipment (18). The objective lens (22) is a doublet having a front lens (32) and a rear lens (41) which cooperate to provide sufficiently small chormatic aberration to enable image quality correction for both visual examination and near infrared tracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: James J. Carlson, Gary R. Noyes
  • Patent number: 5161051
    Abstract: An optical system (10) for producing dual fields of view simultaneously. The system (10) includes a first optical system (12) for producing a first field of view image and a second optical system (36) for producing a second field of view image where the angular displacement of the second field of view is different from that of the first field of view. A dichroic beamsplitter (22) is disposed in the present invention so as to reflect light from the first optical system (12). The dichroic beamsplitter (22) is also disposed so as to simultaneously transmit light from the second optical system (36). As a result, the reflected light (20) is primarily composed of light of a first wavelength band and the transmitted light is primarily composed of a second wavelength band. The light from the two different fields of view are then directed to a dual filter (32) which passes the first wavelength band in one portion and passes the second wavelength band in another portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Colin G. Whitney, Bruce A. Cameron
  • Patent number: 5157548
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to optical devices enabling daytime vision and night vision of an external scene with, in both cases, the superimposed introduction, into an observer's visual field, of an image given by an image generator. The image given by the light intensifier of a night observation system is processed in the same way as the image given by the image generator, by an auxiliary image-combining optical system which mixes these two images before they reach the main image-combining optical system of the device through which, in night vision, the observer directly sees the external scene. The auxiliary image-combining optical system is designed so that, in night vision, at least the greatest part of the light coming from the image generator reaches the main image-combining optical system. Depending on the embodiment, this result is obtained either with a retractable semi-reflecting mirror or with a semi-reflecting surface selective in frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Assignee: Sextant Avionique
    Inventors: Laurent Monnier, Jean-Marc Kraus, Jean-Noel Perbet
  • Patent number: 5146362
    Abstract: A lamp projecting a high-intensity optical beam of optical radiation, with an IR-extracting (cooling) array including an IR-dissipating "black-box" arranged to receive IR and convert it to box-heat, plus an IR-diverting "hot-mirror" interposed along the beam to divert (only) the IR to this "black-box".
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1992
    Assignee: Unisys Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Copenhaver, Johan Bakker, John Vala
  • Patent number: 5136421
    Abstract: A pupil/image reversal prism (FIG. 2) forms a pupil at an image location. Such a prism has specific applicability in a DCR scheme for a thermal imaging system (FIG. 3a, 31 and 32) in which a passive DCR source is implemented by a pupil imager that forms a pupil onto the image of a thermal scene, thereby providing scene-average radiation to a thermal detector array. The pupil/image reversal prism including an input reflective surface (A), an output reflective surface (B), a positive reflective surface (C) and an intermediate folding reflective surface (D). The reflective surfaces A and B use total internal reflection to provide both transmissive and reflective operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1992
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Stephen F. Sagan
  • Patent number: 5084780
    Abstract: A telescopic sight which can be used for either nighttime or daytime operation and is particularly adaptable for use on weapons ranging from rifles to anti-tank weapons.A first embodiment includes a single objective and two parallel light paths, one for day viewing and one for night viewing. The objective forms the beginning of the night path. Separating mirrors transmit light from the objective along the night path and reflects light from the objective to the day path. The night path includes an image intensifier assembly. A mirror at the end of the night path reflects the light from the image intensifier assembly to a beamsplitter/combiner on the day path. The beamsplitter/combiner transmits the light from the day path and reflects the light from the night path along the same path to an ocular assembly for viewing.A second embodiment of the telescopic sight is similar to the first embodiment but contains two objective lens assemblies for collecting light, one for the night path and one for the day path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1992
    Assignee: ITT Corporation
    Inventor: Earle N. Phillips
  • Patent number: D394664
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Konno