Patents Examined by William H. Punter
  • Patent number: 4929063
    Abstract: A nonlinear tunable optical bandpass filter of the Fabry-Perot type is disclosed comprising an optically transparent substrate and a plurality of multilayer coatings deposited on a facing side of the substrate. One of the coating layers comprises a spacer being a nonlinear optical coating material having an externally-variable refractive index. The spacer is bounded on two ends by structures of multilayer stacks being alternating thin films of transparent, physically compatible materials. The filter of the invention can be tuned to pass various transmittance wavelengths through the application of external activation apparatus, such as heating by a laser acting on the spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1990
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventors: William W. Durand, Ronald E. Peterson
  • Patent number: 4877318
    Abstract: An ultra-short and novel optical system, designed for the binocular described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,790, granted Dec. 18, 1984, having an air-spaced objective that is as short as is physically possible and an Erfle type eyepiece that is also as short as is physically possible, to produce a magnification of 7 power in a binocular with an objective 30 mm in diameter and an eyepiece with a real angle of 9.degree.. A feature of this optical system is the employment of oval mirrors of four different sizes, arranged so that the end mirrors are virtually touching the adjacent lens elements of the objective and eyepiece. Another feature is that the focal plane is curved rather than flat as in conventional binoculars. A further feature is that the first and last achromats of the eyepiece are tilted very slightly at the top in the direction of the objective to elongate the apparent depth of focus by arraying sharp focus along a gradient in the field of view from top (distant) to bottom (near).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1989
    Inventors: John R. Miles, deceased, by Mildred L. Miles, heir, Grant Miles
  • Patent number: 4806005
    Abstract: An auxiliary spotting optical system for binoculars and telescopes includes an auxiliary objective lens proximate the principal objective lens, a principal magnification system field of view indicator and an image transfer arrangement between the field of view indicator and the ocular lens of the binocular to bridge the optical gap created between the image plane of the auxiliary objective lens and the focal plane of the ocular lens to create an optical system delivering a 1.times. magnification to an observer with normal eyesight. A movable mirror in the optical path of the principal magnification system and the spotting system determines which optical system is active. In its first position the mirror directs light passing through the auxiliary objective lens, the field of view indicator, the image transfer arrangement to the ocular lens, and blocks the principal magnification optical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Inventors: Richard T. Schneider, Richard H. Keates
  • Patent number: 4804258
    Abstract: A four mirror afocal optical system is disclosed. The primary mirror (12), secondary mirror (14), tertiary mirror (16), and quaternary mirror (18) form an afocal reimaging optical system which is off axis in both aperture and field angle. The secondary, tertiary and quaternary mirrors are tilted and decentered relative to the optical axis of the primary mirror to enhance image quality and to provide access to a real exit pupil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Reynold S. Kebo
  • Patent number: 4783158
    Abstract: A telescope assembly (10,10',10") including a primary mirror (12,12',12") and a secondary mirror (22,22',22") for receiving the primary light beam (50,50',50") reflected from the front side (14,14',14") of the primary mirror (12,12',12") and reflecting the primary light beam (50,50',50") to an eyepiece (28,28',28"). The secondary mirror (22,22',22") is disposed on the optical axis (18,18',18") defined by the primary mirror (12,12',12") and obstructs a portion of the primary light beam (50,50',50") received by the primary mirror (12,12',12"). An intercept mirror assembly intercepts the obstructed portion of the primary light beam (50,50',50") ahead of the rear side (26,26',26") of the secondary mirror (22,22',22") and merges the intercepted light beam into the primary light beam between the front faces (14,14',14",24,24',24") of the primary and secondary mirrors (12,12',12",22,22',22" ) to form an unobstructed view of the on-axis object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1988
    Inventor: Stanley J. Shackman
  • Patent number: 4779967
    Abstract: An objective lens system having a pair of plano-convex lenses disposed adjacent each other with the convex surfaces facing each other and aligned along common optical axis. A plurality of optical fibers surround the plan-convex lenses to convey light and illuminate an object to be viewed by the objective lens assembly. Adjustably positioned adjacent the second plano-convex lens is a field lens system including an elongate rod lens for conducting the intermediate image from the plano-convex lenses and to relay it to an ocular lens system for viewing by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1988
    Assignee: Ram Optical Instrumentation, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Murphy, Mark G. Arenal
  • Patent number: 4778252
    Abstract: Objects of various sizes are centered and releasably held with a holder member having an annulus and radially mobile object supports or flexible fingers projecting inwardly from that annulus for centering and releasably holding any of the objects inside that annulus. These radially mobile object supports or flexible fingers are of one piece with the annulus. Adjustable actuator members, which may project from an annular structure concentric with, and rotatable to, the annulus, engage the radially mobile object supports or flexible fingers for selectively moving the same radially relative to the annulus for an accommodation of any of the objects. Detents may be provided between the annular structure and the annulus for releasably retaining the annular structure in any of several annular positions relative to the annulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Newport Corporation
    Inventor: Waldemiro M. Filho
  • Patent number: 4776670
    Abstract: An optical assembly comprises an elongate hollow body (11) of triangular cross-section, having three deformable side walls which adjoin each other and at least one optical element (1). Inside the body the optical element is secured without play to each of the side walls at a well-defined location and in a well-defined position by rigid local connections (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1988
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Henricus M. M. Kessels, Francis J. Span
  • Patent number: 4776678
    Abstract: The optical phase modulator device comprises a source of short laser pulses, a material having self-induced variation in refraction index, and an interferometer device interposed between the source of short laser pulses and the material having self-induced variation of refractive index in order to form four fragmented waves for which the average value of the correlation product is zero. The device enables stable optical phase shifts of more than 2.pi. radians to be obtained in beams having a regular geometrical structure, and it is also applicable to high power laser amplification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1988
    Assignee: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
    Inventors: Alain Barthelemy, Bernard Colombeau, Claude Froehly, Michel Vampouille
  • Patent number: 4776677
    Abstract: A nonlinear optical medium wherein the optical index of refraction is a function of the intensity of light irradiating the medium, is employed in various devices to affect at least a portion of an incoming light beam by refracting or reflecting that portion of the light and thereby reduce the amount of light falling on an object. The nonlinear optical medium is employed in a resonator optical bistable device, in a self-bending approach and in a self-defocusing approach to provide the protective function. The spatial profile of light intensity of the incoming light can be shaped prior to the incoming light irradiating the nonlinear medium or the nonlinear medium itself can be shaped to provide the path altering function. A laser hardened device with ultra fast switching time, a large dynamic range and passive operation is a preferred application of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1988
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventors: Yong K. Park, Anil K. Jain
  • Patent number: 4776683
    Abstract: A casing in the form of a slender hollow structure has a slit-shaped entrance aperture defined in an upper cover thereof and a slit-shaped exit aperture defined in a lower cover thereof. The casing houses a covex roof-shaped mirror having a convex reflecting surface, a lens array, a concave roof-shaped mirror array having an array of convex reflecting surfaces, and a spacer interposed between the concave roof-shaped mirror array and the lens array to keep them spaced apart. The upper and lower covers of the casing are integrally formed with or securely coupled to the spacer. A light shield plate lies between the corner of the convex roof-shaped mirror and the lens array, and a reflecting plate is mounted on the upper cover of the casing for reflecting light from a light source to an object to be imaged. A sensor for detecting the amount of light emitted from the light source is also mounted on the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1988
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ikuo Maeda, Toshiyuki Inokuchi, Takaaki Miyashita
  • Patent number: 4773747
    Abstract: A one-piece blank of thin semi-rigid material, such as cardboard, formed into a series of rectangular panels hingedly connected at parallel foldlines and two trapezoidal pairs of interlocking flaps, may be easily assembled to form a foldable binocular. One panel contains a pair of objective lenses and another panel contains a pair of ocular lenses. When folded, the objective lenses, and optionally the ocular lenses, are protected from scratches and smudges by a pair of rectangular flaps formed by glueing certain panels together before assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignee: Innovational Products Co., Inc.
    Inventor: William M. Bresnahan
  • Patent number: 4772104
    Abstract: An achromatic birefringent retardation plate has a quarter wave of linear optical birefringence over a wavelength range centered about a nominal wavelength. The plate includes a combination of two birefringent optical disks in adjacent positions along a light beam axis. Each disk has a linear optical birefringence with a fast axis. The two disks have thicknesses such that, at the nominal wavelength, they have their linear optical birefringence at n and m quarter waves, respectively of the nominal wavelength, where n is an odd integer greater than one and where m is an even integer greater than n. The fast axes of the linear birefrigences of the disks have rotational orientations about the light beam axis whereby the fast axis orientation of the other disk differs from that of one disk by ninety degrees, plus or minus one-half of the angle whose cosine is equal to the ratio of n to m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Assignee: GTE Laboratories Incorporated
    Inventor: Carl F. Buhrer
  • Patent number: 4770519
    Abstract: A novel drinking cup adaptable into binoculars consisting of a stackable, truncated conical frustum shaped drinking cup having a pair of spaced apart ocular lenses on one slanted side and a pair of objective lenses situated on the opposite slanted side, with oppositely located crease folds on the cup slanted sides opposite each other and midway between the ocular and objective lens. In addition, a pair of diverging creases are placed in the cup slanted side on opposite sides of one of the lengthwise crease line, the pair of diverging crease lines such that they diverge from a common meeting point at the end of the cup having the smallest diameter to the end of the cup having the largest diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Inventor: James S. Jacques
  • Patent number: 4767196
    Abstract: A radiant energy logic element includes first and second reflecting devices and a radiant energy nonlinear medium between said first and second reflecting devices and in contact therewith. Radiant energy beams of first and second wavelengths are applied to the reflecting devices. The first reflecting device is transmissive at said second radiant energy beam wavelength and reflective at said first radiant energy beam wavelength, and said second reflecting device is reflective at said first and second radiant energy beam wavelengths. The nonlinear medium of the logic element is responsive to radiant energy beams applied to the first reflecting device but insensitive to radiant energy beams applied to the second reflecting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1988
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventor: Jack L. Jewell
  • Patent number: 4767188
    Abstract: A multi-dimensional nanometric displacement positioner providing a support apparatus for an optical instrument. The positioner apparatus may nanometrically move an optical holder tube through the combined action of a tapered adjustment shaft and a zig-zag double L-shaped arm, which is connected to an optical holder tube support ring by means of a flexure link. Z-axis displacement is achieved when the inner surface of a manually driven outer drive sleeve contacts a radially directed rod flexurally affixed to a lever; so that, as the lever is pressed against a projecting flange of the holder tube, the tube is translated axially forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1988
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Jon H. Myer
  • Patent number: 4763987
    Abstract: A lens barrel has a lens barrel body, a movable lens unit accommodated in the lens barrel body and movable in a direction of an optical axis, a moving operational mechanism for moving the movable lens unit and a handling load change mechanism provided between the lens barrel body and the moving operational mechanism. The handling load change mechanism includes a moving operational member sliding contact portion and a lens barrel sliding contact portion which support handling loads through a fluid lubricant and a change operational member for changing the area of mutual contact by relative motion between the sliding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Ando
  • Patent number: 4763996
    Abstract: A crystal structure arrangement used in a spatial light modulator wherein an electrooptic crystal structure faces an electron beam source, such as a photocathode or an electron gun, within a vacuum envelope. Electrons emitted from the electron beam source in response to an image or image signal source are stored on the surface of the electrooptic crystal structure to form a charge image thereon and then to change the refractive index of the electrooptic crystal structure corresponding to the stored charge image. The refractive index change is read out using a laser beam or incandescent light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsutomu Hara, Yoshiharu Ooi, Kazunori Shinoda, Koji Ichie
  • Patent number: 4758076
    Abstract: Optical axes of the day path and of the night path extend in a sagittal plane (5,9) of the carrying vehicle and the passage from the night path to the day path or conversely is effected by means for displacing a first reflector parallel to the plane in order that the input light beams are directed to the optical axis of the day path or of the night path. A second output reflector along the optical axis for the day path is simultaneously displaced from an active position, for viewing by day, to a concealed position, for viewing by night, when said first reflector is displaced to deflect said beams along said night path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Fernand R. Loy, Jean-Luc Espie
  • Patent number: 4758077
    Abstract: In a binocular employing mirrors in place of Porro prisms as an erector system, including a pair of telescopes each having a hollow body shell, a plurality of mirrors in the shell and arranged to provide a folded light path therethrough, eyepiece and objective barrels mounted on the shell and having, respectively, eyepiece and objective lenses therein and disposed at opposite ends of the light path, such mirrors being ovally-shaped and sized to conform to the respective cross sections thereat of the light bundle transmitted by the objective lenses, the shell defining an internal arcuate mirror rim-receiving surface for each of the mirrors and a portion of the rim of each mirror being adhesively secured to the receiving surface therefor by an elastic adhesive; and hinge structure including a hinge post connecting the telescopes together for adjustment of the interpupillary spacing of the eyepiece barrels, the improvement being that each mirror pair is first mounted at right angles in a hood-shaped cover, which
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Inventor: William J. Beecher