Abstract: A binocular/spotting scope assembly for outdoor and field activities includes binoculars having stereoscopic vision and a spotting scope having a more localized, higher power field of vision than the binoculars. The binoculars and the spotting scope are supported in a substantially horizontal side-by-side relationship on a support which permits the binoculars and the spotting scope to be pivotally adjusted and positioned with respect to each other about both a horizontal axis and a vertical axis so that lines of vision of the binoculars and the spotting scope cross at a point forward of the assembly. Thus, the stereoscopic vision of the binoculars can be used to find an object and the more localized, higher power field of vision of the spotting scope can be used to more carefully examine the object.

Abstract: An automatic focus detecting telescope which offers easy maintenance and which, when applied to a surveying instrument such as an auto-level, provides easy detachment and attachment of an optical horizontal compensation system. Even if the optical horizontal compensation system is detached, no readjustments are required for the automatic focusing apparatus and the eyepiece optical system.

Abstract: A stereoscopic-vision endoscope of the present invention comprises a tubular elongated insertional part, an objective optical system situated in the insertional part, a relay optical system situated in the insertional part for transmitting an object image formed by the objective optical system, a pupil dividing stop for dividing a light beam emanating from an object image formed by the relay optical system into a plurality of portions, an image formation optical system for receiving light beams from the pupil dividing stop so as to form a plurality of object images having parallax, and imaging devices for picking up the object images formed by the image formation optical system. The relay optical system satisfies the condition .phi..sup.2 /L>0.43 (where .phi. denotes an outer diameter of a system of relay lenses, and L denotes a relay length of the relay optical system).

Abstract: An display apparatus has an image displaying device for modulating light by a spatial light modulation element and displaying an image, a relay optical system for forming the image on an imaging plane at a location differing from the image displaying device, an eyepiece optical system for directing the light from the imaging plane to an observer's pupil, and light beam controlling device provided in a portion of the relay optical system for controlling the amount of transmission of a light beam from the image displaying device correspondingly to the inclination of the contrast distribution of the light beam.

Abstract: A dot sighting device comprises a lens-shaped transparent objective element with convex and concave surfaces, the convex surface extending outwardly toward a target and the concave surface extending toward a user's eye. The concave surface has a first center of curvature lying on a baseline parallel to an optical axis of the element extending from a center of the element to the user's eye. The concave surface has a first radius from the first center of curvature to a center of the concave surface. The baseline and the first radius subtends an angle .theta. with each other. The convex surface has a second center of curvature positioned eccentrically from the first center of curvature located in a plane containing the baseline and the first radius. The convex surface has a second radius extending from the second center of curvature to a center of the convex surface. A light source is disposed behind the element and directed toward the center of the concave surface such that a light flux makes an angle .theta.

Abstract: An aiming telescope has an inner tube mounted within the main tube on the eyepiece side, e.g. with a ball-and-socket joint, for receiving an inversion system and a reticle. For adjusting the reticle, a pair of adjusting spindles disposed at right angles to each other are provided, the restoring forces being applied by a spring which is supported on the ball of the ball-and-socket joint at a distance from the center of the ball, on the one hand, and on the main tube, on the other hand.

Abstract: A high-resolution synthetic aperture telescope system includes a primary mirror which is a section of the aperture to be synthesized; and a device for rotating the primary mirror section through a number of angular positions about the aperture being synthesized to obtain a plurality of component images of an object, at least one from each of the positions.

Abstract: A new coronagraph sufficiently increases the contrast ratio between the infrared image of a nonsolar star and a possible orbiting nonsolar planet to make imaging of such a planet possible. The coronagraph is used with an infrared telescope system having a square objective or aperture. Unwanted stellar irradiance is diffracted orthogonally by the square telescope aperture or objective so that a coronagraph apodizer in the first focal plane in the shape of crossed arms, and a coronagraph Lyot stop in the pupil plane with a square opening, stop most of the on-axis direct and diffracted stellar energy while allowing most of the planet irradiance to pass through the coronagraph. The discarded light reflected from the back of the apodizer can be used to provide information concerning piston and tilt error of individual segments of a segmented telescope so that an array of correcting piston-tilt mirrors can be controlled to align the telescope.

Abstract: A large effective-aperture, low-cost optical telescope with diffraction-limited resolution enables ground-based observation of near-earth space objects. The telescope has a non-redundant, thinned-aperture array in a center-mount, single-structure space frame. It employs speckle interferometric imaging to achieve diffraction-limited resolution. The signal-to-noise ratio problem is mitigated by moving the wavelength of operation to the near-IR, and the image is sensed by a Silicon CCD. The steerable, single-structure array presents a constant pupil. The center-mount, radar-like mount enables low-earth orbit space objects to be tracked as well as increases stiffness of the space frame. In the preferred embodiment, the array has elemental telescopes with subaperture of 2.1 m in a circle-of-nine configuration. The telescope array has an effective aperture of 12 m which provides a diffraction-limited resolution of 0.02 arc seconds.

Abstract: A large effective-aperture, low-cost optical telescope with diffraction-limited resolution enables ground-based observation of near-earth space objects. The telescope has a non-redundant, thinned-aperture array in a center-mount, single-structure space frame. It employes speckle interferometric imaging to achieve diffraction-limited resolution. The signal-to-noise ratio problem is mitigated by moving the wavelength of operation to the near-IR, and the image is sensed by a Silicon CCD. The steerable, single-structure array presents a constant pupil. The center-mount, radar-like mount enables low-earth orbit space objects to be tracked as well as increases stiffness of the space frame. In the preferred embodiment, the array has elemental telescopes with subaperture of 2.1 m in a circle-of-nine configuration. The telescope array has an effective aperture of 12 m which provides a diffraction-limited resolution of 0.02 arc seconds.

Abstract: An optical system for scanning a wide angle conical field of regard through a small aperture and with a narrow field of view device includes a first optical offsetting device rotated about a first axis coincident to the axis of the conical field of regard. The first offsetting optical device receives light along a second optical axis which at a certain acute angle with respect to the first axis. A second optical offsetting device is positioned at the output side of the first device and is rotated about the second axis. The second offsetting device also receives light along a third optical axis, which is at the certain angle with respect to the second axis. The first, second and third axes intersect in front of the system in the narrow aperture through which the viewing takes place. By rotating each of the two optical offsetting devices, an entire area having a field of regard of twice the certain angle from the viewing aperture may be mapped.