Abstract: The invention is a reflective dead angle vision device, which provides a line of sight for the driver that includes the area adjacent to the two front tires. The invention has a housing and two ultra wide-angle mirrors. The housing has movable transparent plates positioned at the front and rear, pivoting rectangular wide-angle mirrors positioned at the front and rear reflect light from a light bulb to provide forward illumination during day and night, an indicator light bulb positioned at a lower rear corner of the housing, intersecting water drainage troughs and a water drainage hole formed in the bottom, two hook-type mounting arms extend from the rear top edge to provide a means of installation onto a side mirror, and two flat rubber cushions are glued to the housing top for securing to the bottom of an automobile side mirror.

Abstract: A reflective scanning telescopic system comprises: a primary ellipsoidal mirror for collecting incoming light, a secondary hyperbolic mirror for reflecting the light collected by the primary mirror axially through the primary mirror, a tertiary ellipsoidal mirror, disposed behind the primary mirror for receiving the light from the secondary curved mirror, and a double bounce fold mirror for directing light reflected from the first fold mirror to the tertiary mirror and for reflecting light from the tertiary mirror past the first fold mirror to a light imaging system. Ideally, the telescopic system is mounted on a substantially rigid optical bench on a gimbal for supporting the optical bench and enabling the optical bench to scan in two dimensions by pivoting along roll and pitch axes.

Abstract: A rear view apparatus for a vehicle having at least a driver's cabin having a roof and a front window. The rear view apparatus having at least three mirror devices each of which is elongated and defining a longitudinal axis, a first mirror device of the apparatus being positioned higher than the roof; a third mirror of the apparatus being positioned in front of a driver in said cabin; and, a second mirror of the apparatus being positioned so as to direct light rays reflected from the first mirror device to the third mirror device, wherein the mirror surface of at least one of the three mirrors is torsioned in a longitudinal direction. The torsion of the mirror surface being opposed from the middle of the mirror surface to each of the sides of the mirror.

Abstract: An optical assembly with a folding mirror assembly is provided. The folding mirror assembly comprises first and second reflecting members having first through fourth reflecting surfaces and mounting means for mounting the reflecting members thereon. The first reflecting member has first and second reflecting surfaces in reflecting relation with each other, and the second reflecting member has third and fourth reflecting surfaces in reflecting relation with each other. The mounting means comprises a plate member having mounting pads, so that when first and second reflecting members are mounted to the mounting pads of the plate member, the third reflecting surface of the second reflecting member is in reflecting relation with the first reflecting surface of the first reflecting member.

Abstract: A reading unit for an image reading device includes a lens tube for forming an image of an object and a line sensor for converting the formed image into an electrical signal. A reducing/magnifying mechanism is included for changing the magnification of the image detected by the line sensor. The lens tube is movable such that the optical path length between the lens tube and the line sensor is adjustable to thereby vary magnification of the image. Further, in response to the movement of the lens tube, a movable mirror is adjusted. The mirror is set in a first predetermined position and directs reflected light from the object to the lens tube to shorten the optical path length between the object and the lens tube and thus relatively increase magnification, in response to the lens tube being in a predetermined normal position with a relatively long optical path length between the lens tube and the line sensor.

Abstract: An automotive rear view mirror system comprises passive optical elements (which may include lenses, but must include one or an odd number of mirrors) configured to provide a wide field of view with a negative optical element having a small width dimension mounted externally and close to the body of the vehicle. In a basic embodiment, a small negative optical element, such as a convex mirror, is mounted outside the vehicle, and a larger positive optical element, such as a convex lens, is placed inside the vehicle. The optical elements are positioned to be substantially confocal, with the distance between them equal to the difference in their focal lengths, so as to cancel the curvature of field generated by the external element. The internal element magnifies the image to a size comparable to that obtained with a standard external flat mirror.

Abstract: A corrector mirror folds the optical path between the objective and relay portions of a three-mirror anastigmat. The corrector mirror is a non-powered mirror having a nominally flat but higher order aspheric surface. By placing the corrector mirror between the objective portion and an intermediate image formed by the objective portion, the field offset of the anastigmat can be significantly increased. A large field offset makes the off-axis anastigmat ideal for use with an on-axis dewar for infrared imaging applications.

Abstract: In an infrared (IR) microscope for a Fourier transform (FT) infrared spectrometer with a Cassegrain mirror-lens with which an incident beam (15) can be focused via a convex mirror (16) and a concave mirror (17) onto a first point-shaped region (19) on the surface of a sample (20) under an angle of incidence .beta.<60.degree.

Abstract: A projector has a shortened optical path from a light valve to a screen and a reduction in the depth size of its system, and requires less space to mount. Rays of light emitted from a light valve of the projector are refracted by a converging lens and reflected by a plane mirror to converge at the primary focal point of an elliptical mirror, and then travel toward the secondary focal point whereat the focal point of a parabolic mirror also exists and a projection lens is disposed. The light rays pass through the projection lens, are reflected by the parabolic mirror and then are brought to a parallel beam of light that is further collected by a Fresnel lens to finally form an image on a lenticular lens-screen.

Abstract: An all-reflective multiple field of view optical system has first (10) and a second (12) reflecting assemblies which share a common package volume in a single unit. The first (10) and second (12) reflecting assemblies rotate with respect to one another to provide multiple fields of view utilizing a common entrance pupil region (14) and a viewing plane (16). Likewise, each reflecting assembly provides a multiple field of view.

Abstract: Pseudoscopic, dual-path optical systems employing plane mirror arrangements for cross coupling the optical paths to reverse the left and right perspectives of object space are provided. Advantageously, the cross coupled path arrangements permit the systems to be manufactured inexpensively because low-cost reflective components can be used and assembled with alignment requirements that are significantly relaxed compared with customary requirements found in uncoupled systems utilizing high-cost prisms or mirror arrangements for similar purposes.

Abstract: In an optical illumination instrument for use in photolithographic process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, a reflection type homogenizer is composed of an array of paraboloid mirrors of a same size arranged on a same plane.

Abstract: A double reflector is described which comprises two spaced apart primary mirrors oriented toward a common focus. The optical system further comprises two separate secondary deflector mirrors as well as tertiary deflector mirrors for beam concentration on a common focus. Both the primary mirrors and the secondary deflector mirrors are so-called off-axis reflectors, i.e. their surface represent surface sectors of a hypothetical big aspherical mirror body. As surface sectors of a hypothetical big hyperbolic mirror, the primary mirrors are inclined at an angle with respect to the common optical axis and each disposed at a given spacing from the same in such manner that the inner marginal rays of the incident radiation which are closest to the optical axis, will converge.

Abstract: An illusion assembly for retaining at least a portion of an item and creating the illusion that the retained portion of the item disappeared. The illusion assembly includes a container having a front transparent area and a rear transparent area. The container includes a retainer assembly defining a retaining space with at least a portion of the item being disposed in the retaining space. At least a portion of the retaining space is disposed between the front transparent area and the rear transparent area in the container. Illusion devices are disposed in the container between the front transparent area and the rear transparent area for creating the illusion of seeing through the front transparent area and through the container and through the rear transparent area without seeing the retainer assembly or the portion of the item stored in the disposed space of the retainer assembly.

Abstract: An all-reflective optical system has a first (10) and second (12) reflecting assembly. The first reflecting assembly (10) includes an afocal three-mirror anastigmat (18, 20, 22) with one or more apertures (28 A-D) in the tertiary mirror (22) to enable light or energy to pass therethrough. Light or energy reflects from the second reflecting assembly (12) through the apertures (28 A-D) to provide simultaneous viewing of a scene by a plurality of instruments (34). The second reflecting assembly (12) includes a planar mirror which provides pointing and stabilization motions for all of the instruments simultaneously without degrading image quality or pupil registration.

Abstract: A wide-angle optical imaging system (10) employs three mirrors (20, 22, 24) to reflect and propagate beams of electromagnetic energy (16, 17, 18) from four reflecting surfaces. A convex mirror (20) is the primary mirror/reflector. A concave mirror (22) is both the secondary and quaternary mirror/reflector for the system. A folding mirror (24) which is essentially flat mirror is the tertiary mirror/reflector for the system. The optical axis (36) of the system (10) is normal to the center of the folding mirror (24). The vertex of the convex mirror (20) and the vertex of the concave mirror (22) lie along the optical axis (36). A distortion corrector (32) and filter (34) are positioned in front of the image plane (30) of the system (10).

Abstract: An improved lateral transfer retroreflector assembly is provided, comprising a tubular member having a channel, a mirror member and a roof mirror mounted to a mounting member. The tubular member has first and second ends, the first end having mounted thereat the mirror member, and the second end forming a channel within which the roof mirror is mounted. The roof mirror is adhered to a mounting member along a junction formed in the roof mirror. The shape of the mounting member substantially conforms to the shape of the junction in the roof mirror thereby ensuring a secure, accurate mount. The channel has an upper and lower opening through which the roof mirror extends. The openings created and the manner in which the roof mirror is mounted within the channel ensure that the depth of the tubular member will be minimized.

Abstract: A series of segments of a parent aspheric mirror having one foci at at a si-point source of radiation and the other foci at the radius of a ring field have all but one or all of their beams translated and rotated by sets of mirrors such that all of the beams pass through the real entrance pupil of a ring field camera about one of the beams and fall onto the ring field radius as a coincident image as an arc of the ring field.

Abstract: A wide angle large reflective unobscured system (10) has a primary (12), secondary (14), tertiary (18) and fold (16) mirror. The primary (12) and secondary (14) mirrors act as a non-reimaging afocal telescope of the Galilean type and relay a virtual entrance pupil to the fold mirror (16) which is positioned at the system aperture stop. The fold mirror (16) directs the energy to the tertiary mirror (18) which acts to direct and focus the energy at a viewing plane. The resulting telescope provides a wide two dimensional field of view which can exceed 20.degree..times.40.degree., and operates at optical speeds about F/1.0.

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.

Abstract: An angular viewing device is taught which enables the viewer to see, while looking downward, objects and scenery in front of him, to the right and left and also above and below the horizontal plane of the viewer's eyes. The viewing device and all of its reflective surfaces or mirrors are housed in a casing which is waterproof and also highly aerodynamically wind-resistant. The device is primarily for use as an optical visual aid for mounting on the handle bars of bicycles for forward vision purposes, safety, and easing of muscle strain associated with riding certain types of bicycles, such as English racer types.

Abstract: A new and improved laser light beam homogenizer for transforming a laser beam with spatially inhomogeneous intensity into a beam with a more nearly spatially uniform intensity pattern is presented. The light beam is diverged by a lens and presented to an integrator. The integrator transforms the beam into a beam with a more uniform illumination. The uniform illumination beam is then impinged on control optics to limit the divergence of the uniform beam and control higher order distortion in the system. This beam may then be illuminated at a predetermined distance by a projecting optic lens. The laser light beam homogenizer of this invention is particularly well suited for use in an imaging lidar system.

Abstract: An optical system and method for rotating an image of an object is disclosed. The device consists of a plurality of optical surfaces for either reflecting or refracting the light along an optical path through the device. The optical surfaces divide the optical path into optical path segments which intersect at predetermined angles. These angles are selected to minimize polarization of the output light. The optical path segments lie in more than one plane.

Abstract: A system and method for optically scanning a scene are disclosed. The system is rotated about a pitch axis and a roll axis to provide the desired scanning capability. The system consists of a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, a tertiary mirror and a fold mirror. The fold mirror is located between the primary and secondary mirrors and reflects the light from the field of view along the pitch axis of the system. The light is reflected by a series of plane fold mirrors to the roll axis and out through an exit aperture. Because the light is reflected along the pitch axis and roll axis, the system can be rotated about these axes while the optical output is maintained as required. Rotation about these axes through internal points between the primary and secondary mirrors minimizes the volume swept out by the system during rotation and maximizes the angles through which the system can be rotated.

Abstract: A terminator system particularly suited for beams of high intensity electromagnetic radiation such as from a laser includes an enclosure having a hole therein and a black mirror mounted in the enclosure. The black mirror has a specularly reflecting surface opposite the hole and is oriented at an angle such that the beam impinging on the hole would be impinging on the specularly reflecting surface and would not be reflected directly back out the hole. The black mirror is constructed of a material that absorbs energy at the wavelength of the incident beam. In another preferred embodiment, there are a plurality of black mirrors for performing a succession of reflections, so that the beam power is reduced significantly at each reflection.

Abstract: An all reflective multiple field of view optical system has a first (10) and second (12) objective assembly sharing a common eyepiece assembly (16) in a common packaging volume in a single unit. The second objective assembly is movable with respect to the first to provide multiple fields of view utilizing a common entrance pupil region (18) and viewing exit pupil plane (20).

Abstract: The present optical system (20) provides an all-reflective vehicle rear vision optical system. A planar mirror (22), acting like a conventional vehicle rearview mirror, would be positioned to receive a beam. The beam would be provided by an image erecting assembly (30) which, in turn, would reflect the beam into a three-mirror anastigmat telescope (24, 26 and 28) to provide rearward image beam to the first planar mirror and in turn, to the exit pupil (25). The optical system provides a 2X magnification at a wide field of view which substantially eliminates blind spots.

Abstract: An optical delay line includes first and second hollow front surface retroreflectors. A translator is coupled to one of the first and second retroreflectors for adjusting the distance between the retroreflectors while maintaining the optical relationship between them. An entrance is provided for introducing a light beam into the delay line so that the light beam is reflected between the first and second retroreflectors a plurality of times; and an exit is provided to couple the beam out of the delay line.

Abstract: An optical apparatus is described which reshapes rectangular cross-section laser beams, with toroidal divergence to generally square cross-section beams with plane or spherical divergence. The apparatus uses either two spherical mirrors or two pairs of spherical mirrors.

Abstract: An all-reflective three-mirror afocal system has a negative power primary (12), positive power secondary (14), and positive power tertiary (16) mirror which form an afocal reimaging optical system. The system is capable of imaging very wide fields of view at low magnification and may be utilized in pilotage, navigation, driving or the like operations.

Abstract: An all-reflective optical three-mirror system has a negative power primary (12), positive power secondary (14), and positive power tertiary (16) mirror which form a focal reimaging optical system. The system is capable of imaging very wide fields of view and may be utilized in pilotage, navigation, driving or the like operations while providing substantially complete detector cold shielding.

Abstract: Apparatus systems and methods for image analysis, including identification, location and analysis of both patterns of distribution of target images and tracking of a high speed target image. An example is scanning shotgun targets. A target, representing a field of view having multiple images distributed therein, is wrapped around a transparent drum illuminated from the interior, rotating the drum in front of a high aspect ratio slit, optically folding the slit aperture into a series of adjacent overlapping zones the aggregate aspect ratio of which is low, scanning the moving target with a video camera, digitizing the camera image signals, electronically processing the signals to identify bright image areas (e.g. shot holes), processing the information to determine the image location and analyzing the location information to determine image distribution patterns.

Abstract: This disclosure describes an optical system which serves to multiply the change in the path length of an optical system. The system employs an even number of pairs of mirrors which are displaceable along a line or lines parallel to an axis. Each segment of the optical path is between mirrors which are oppositely displaceable, so that the length of each segment is increased by an amount equal to twice the displacement of the mirror pairs.

Abstract: A reflecting objective system comprising three or more spherical reflecting mirrors arranged symmetrically with regard to an optical axis common thereto and has spherical aberration corrected very favorably. By using a single or plural aspherical surfaces, this reflecting objective system can be modified so as to comprise two or more reflecting mirrors and correct not only the spherical aberration but also the offaxial aberrations.

Abstract: A motorcycle driver's helmet is described. A special optical system or periscope type design is built onto the rear of the helmet for use by a passenger, i.e. not by the wearer. The structure enables the passenger to see in front of the running motorcycle, such as traffic and/or the scenery ahead without having to move to the side to look around the driver.

Abstract: A mirror system is disclosed for use on the roof of a truck cab to enable the driver of the truck to view the interior of the body of the truck to ascertain the loading condition thereof. The view of the interior of the body of the truck is consecutively reflected by three mirrors which are selectively adjustably mounted on the roof of the truck cab.

Abstract: An optical steering assembly includes first and second steering elements, such as orthogonally-oriented glavanometer mirrors, scanners or acousto-optical cells, for redirecting light in both forward and return optical paths without crosstalk or mixing. Input light traveling in the first direction is directed from the first side of the first element to the first side of the second element, undergoing two orthogonal steering deflections to a redirected output path. Return light along the same or a closely adjacent path is directed at the second side of one element, where an optical relay system tranlates it to the second side of the other element. The return light thus strikes the opposite sides of the same elements as the input light, and undergoes corresponding steering corrections while maintaining complete beam separation. The assembly is especially useful in instruments where low light levels, scan distortion, or crosstalk would otherwise limit performance.

Abstract: In an apparatus for manipulating laser beams with mirrors, the beam is caused to emerge substantially in alignment with the initial direction of the incoming beam by deflecting the incoming beam with a first mirror whose position is selectively adjustable to a second mirror which preferably has a parabolic surface, and then from the second mirror the beam is directed to a third, flat mirror whose position is also adjustable so that the beam is focussed on the region to be treated in a position substantially in alignment with the initial direction of propagation. An improved system for supplying screening gas to the region under treatment is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system of at least three concave mirrors (M1, M2, M3 . . . ) of cylindrical form are arranged with the concave part of the first mirror M1 facing towards the second mirror M2 and with the planes defined by the straight sections of the two mirrors which are perpendicular to each other. The arrangement further has the concave part of the third mirror M3 facing towards the second mirror M2 with the planes defined by the straight sections of the two mirrors M3, M2 perpendicularly to each other. Successive mirrors are placed in a crosswise fashion with respect to their nearest neighbor in order to provide for applications in the guiding of millimeter and sub-millimeter electromagnetic waves for plasma physics.