Abstract: A modulated infrared source is disclosed in which spatial-on-spatial modulation is accomplished by the rotation of two sets of beam forming optics about an infrared source. Close to 100% of the energy from the infrared source is focused by rotating two sets of parabolically shaped mirrors about the IR source such that energy losses due toe modulation technique are minimized. The speed of the rotation of the reflective optics is minimized while maintaining sufficiently high modulation frequencies the initial provision of four beams from a single source. This is accomplished by the first set of beam forming optics. Moreover, the effects of unwanted reflection are minimized by the four beam configuration. The four beams are then themselves modulated by the second set of beam forming optics.

Abstract: A modulated infrared source is disclosed in which spatial modulation is accomplished by the sweeping of an infrared beam past a point in space. In one embodiment close to 100% of the energy from the infrared source is focused by rotating optics including parabolically shaped reflectors about the source such that energy losses due to the modulation technique are minimized due to a single reflection of the energy from the IR source. The speed of the rotation of the reflective optics is minimized while maintaining sufficiently high modulation frequencies by the provision of four beams from a single source. In another embodiment a squirrel cage reflecting system is provided in which the energy from the IR source is reflected twice.

Abstract: A method of countermeasuring heat seeking missiles is disclosed in which an infrared source is spatially modulated by providing a beam from the source which is swept past a point in space to produce pulsed infrared energy at this point. In one embodiment the beam is swept around a 360° azimuth for omnidirectional protection.

Abstract: A modulated infrared source is disclosed in which spatial modulation is accomplished by the rotation of beam forming optics about an infrared source in which a portion of the energy in the beam produced includes energy coming directly from the IR source without being reflected. Close to 100% of the energy from the infrared source is focused by rotating parabolically shaped elements, such that energy losses due to the modulation technique are minimized. The speed of the rotation of the reflective optics is minimized while maintaining sufficiently high modulation frequencies by the provision of four beams from a single source.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the relative movement between a target tracking missile and a target being located at a target distance from said missile. The missile is equipped with an image processing seeker head provided with a seeker detecting said target. The seeker head observes the target in an observation direction. A target image is generated on the seeker. The size of the target image depends on the observation direction. The target moves with a target velocity relative to the missile. The method has the method steps of: defining a seeker head-fixed coordinate system; defining a maximum absolute size of said target; measuring further relevant quantities; and running a recursive algorithm in order to obtain estimated values of a three-dimensional vector of the target velocity in the seeker head-fixed coordinate system by using as inputs the defined maximum absolute size of the target and the image dimension appearing on the seeker as well as further relevant quantities.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the relative height between two targets is disclosed. The present invention also discloses a method for determining the relative height between two targets; the method is substantially similar to the operational aspects of the device of the present invention. The method requires no angular measurements in order to determine the different height between the two targets, but rather only distance measurements that can be performed simply and accurately. The apparatus for determining the relative height between two targets a disclosed.

Abstract: A ballistic projectile velocity measurement apparatus including two screens spaced apart at a known fixed distance for providing time measurement start and stop signals indicative of the passage of a ballistic projectile through a light curtain formed by contiguous focused light beams from plural infrared light sources which causes a perturbation or fluctuation in the light intensity level received by one or more photo-optic sensors to calculate the speed or velocity of the ballistic projectile. A calculation and display unit for receiving the time measurement signals, calculating the speed or velocity of the ballistic projectile and storing and displaying the sensed and calculated information is connected to the screens and controlled by keyboard command.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for optical distance measurement in geodetic and industrial surveying. It comprises a transmitter unit (1) having one or two optical radiation sources (2, 3) which emit a diffraction-limited, visible radiation and a divergent visible or infrared radiation. The radiation of the two radiation sources (2, 3) is passed through a common lens (5) and directed toward a target object (6). The radiation reflected or scattered by the target object (6) is received by the same lens (5). Selection means (10; 10a, 10b, 10c; 11; 12a, 12b) for selecting the radiation or the radiation sources (2, 3) are provided. Consequently, the distance to cooperative and noncooperative target objects (6) can be measured at short and long distances with high positional resolution. When used in a theodolite, the three-dimensional coordinates of the target object (6) can be determined with very high accuracy.

Abstract: A driving system region which is a region where a light projector, a light receiver, and a signal processing circuit are installed together is disposed on one side of an optical system region comprising a light-projecting region and a light-receiving region, so that wires such as their mutual signal lines are kept from passing through the optical system region, whereby an omnidirectional distance detecting apparatus capable of complete 360-degree omnidirectional distance detection can be obtained. The influence of electric noise caused by the driving system of rotary mechanism and the like upon light-receiving signals and the like is suppressed, whereby the accuracy in distance detection can be improved.

Abstract: A two-color infrared warning device, having both wide-angle and narrow-angle search capabilities, and a directional countermeasure device are mounted on a gimbal pointing in the same direction. The warning device and gimbal are initially operated in a wide-angle, step-stare mode to search for threats. When a potential hostile target is found, the warning device changes to a narrow-angle mode to determine whether the potential target is hostile. When a hostile target is identified, the directional countermeasure device, which is pointed at the target by virtue of its mounting with the warning device on the gimbal, is activated.

Abstract: A laser measuring device is to be provided which should be substantially maintenance-free. In front of a window for the passage of laser beams (2) that contains a protective pane or lens, a compressed-air chamber (3) is provided. The latter has a compressed-air connection (4) that is connected by a compressed-air line (5) containing a control element (10) to a source of compressed air, and to which compressed air is supplied in operation. On the side of the compressed-air chamber (3) remote from the window, there is provided an air lock (6) which is only open during a measurement. In the open condition (6) of the air lock, a light channel (7) is open to permit the passage of the laser beams (2) and of light beams reflected from an object (8). In the closed condition (6′) of the air lock, the light channel (7) is closed. In this way, dirt deposits on the lens or protective pane in the window are avoided as far as possible, and cleaning, particularly prior to each measurement, is unnecessary.

Abstract: Apparatus for efficiently modulating the output from an infrared radiation source is provided by a collector/collimator for collecting and collimating the output of the radiation source and a modulator including a stator and at least one rotor. The stator includes a disc of alternating opaque and transparent radial segments having means associated therewith for gathering the radiation from the source and passing substantially all of it to the transparent segments including optical wedges arranged on the opaque segments and a central reflector/collector. The rotor includes a disc of alternating transparent and opaque radial segments. A second rotor may be provided for adding a second modulation and comprises a disc of alternating opaque and transparent radial segments also having optical wedges arranged on the opaque segments and a central reflector.

Abstract: In a method of examining the reliability of distance data calculated based on stereoscopic images, a pair of photographed images is obtained by taking pictures of a test chart 21 carrying a brightness pattern with a stereo camera, the test chart 21 being placed in a shooting direction of the stereo camera. The distance data is calculated from these photographed images by stereo matching. Using the distance data concerning the test chart shown in the photographed images as the evaluation samples, a histogram showing a relationship between distance values of evaluation samples and their frequency of occurrence is produced. The reliability of the calculated distance data is judged by evaluating properties of the histogram thus produced based on the distance between the stereo camera and the test chart.

Abstract: A device for determining the wheel and axle geometry of motor vehicles in an inspection room using an optical measuring device having at least one optical image pick-up device from at least two different perspectives, having a marking device, which includes a measuring feature arrangement existing or arranged on the wheel, and having an evaluation device. The determining the geometrical wheel and axle data is simplified in that the marking device has at least one reference feature arrangement including at least three reference features per image recording position; that the inspection room is defined between the reference feature arrangement(s) and the base plane of the measuring station; that the position of the reference features in the inspection room is known in the evaluation device; and that the measuring feature arrangement includes at least three measuring features per wheel.

Abstract: A non-contact type wheel alignment measuring apparatus includes a fixed-focal-length lens and a pair of light sources located on the opposite sides of the lens for projecting a pair of laser beams onto the side surface of a wheel to be measured. The apparatus also includes a CCD sensor on which images reflecting from the wheel are formed and the distance between the two images is detected as a function of pixels of CCD sensor between them. The information of this distance (or the number of pixels) is utilized to determine the distance between the measuring apparatus and a point of interest on the wheel. With two or more such information for different locations on the wheel, its alignment characteristic, such as toe-in and camber angles, can be determined.

Abstract: A photo detecting device includes an output line leading to a processing circuit, and an array of pixels including respective photo detecting zones for changing incident light into corresponding electric signals through photoelectric conversion. Each of the pixels includes a first switch for selectively connecting and disconnecting a related photo detecting zone to and from the output line, and a second switch for selectively connecting and disconnecting the related photo detecting zone to and from a ground line. The second switch disconnects the related photo detecting zone from the ground line when the first switch connects the related photo detecting zone to the output line. The second switch connects the related photo detecting zone to the ground line when the first switch disconnects the related photo detecting zone from the output line.

Abstract: A three dimensional laser tracking and control system is disclosed. The system includes a laser beacon generating a three dimensional rotating and scanning laser beam that covers a three-dimensional area. Each mobile unit has identification number (ID) and is equipped with a intelligent reflector (IR). Each mobile unit uses its intelligent reflector (IR) to communicate to the signal system its ID and the time of illumination by the laser beam. The signal system calculates the three dimensional coordinates for each mobile unit and communicates the positional data back to each mobile unit using the same laser beam during the subsequent rotation cycles.

Abstract: A hybrid curvature/tilt wave front sensor (50) that employs both tilt measurements and curvature measurements of the wave front of a light beam (16). The light beam (16) is split into a first path and a second path. The light beam (16) on the first path is directed to a tilt sensor (12) employing a lenslet array (24) having a plurality of lenses (26). The lenses (26) focus separate portions (32) of the wave front onto a CCD (28) that provides local intensity measurements. A computer (30) receives electrical information of the intensity of the various beam portions (32) and computes a tilt measurement based on this information. The light beam (16) on the second path is directed to a curvature sensor (14) that includes a pair of CCDs (40, 42) positioned at the same distance before and after the focal plane of a lens (52). The intensity measurement of the beam (16) at these locations is sent to the computer (30) which performs curvature measurements on the beam wave front.

Abstract: A lidar-based air defense system for providing a single unified system that may detect, track and even destroy airborne objects, even objects designed to move relatively undetected through conventional radar systems. The lidar-based air defense system includes a support, and a plurality of laser transmitters mounted on the support in sets of different angles. Each of the laser transmitters are adapted to transmit a coherent beam of light along an axis, with the plurality of laser transmitters being oriented such that the axes of the beams of light emitted from the laser transmitters radiate outwardly from the support to generate a grid of laser beams in the atmosphere. The system also includes a plurality of laser receivers and a processor for processing information from the laser transmitters and laser receivers.

Abstract: A system and method for accurate measurement of distance and location of an object. The system comprises low-cost optical signal generators, aligned in a known configuration, to project a two-dimensional geometric figure on the object to be measured, or on a target attached to the object. The system captures an image of the projected figure, determines the exact geometry (e.g., area or circumference) of the figure, and calculates the exact distance to the object based on comparison of that geometry to the known configuration of the laser line generators. The invention simultaneously determines relative X and Y position of the object, thereby giving accurate X, Y, and Z coordinates.