Patents by Inventor Edward W. Nichols

Edward W. Nichols has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5017004
    Abstract: An electro-optical test tool for testing an input laser beam includes a collecting optics system of attenuating and collimating lenses enabling the test tool to test high powered, high PRF laser sources. A processor controlled CCPD sensor array provides a shuttered laser beam video signal which can be processed using a non-linear technique to improve the dynamic range of the system. Additionally, boresight error correcting capabilities are provided as well as range finding techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1991
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Michael A. Cross, Edward W. Nichols
  • Patent number: 4746205
    Abstract: An attenuated fiducial replica of the far field pattern of a high energy laser beam is obtained by a system and method wherein a first fraction of an incident high energy beam is deflected from one reflective surface of a holey plate and the diffracted orders of the beam are transmitted from the holes to a concave reflector, which reflects diffracted orders toward an opposite reflective surface of the holey plate. A zinc selenide partially reflective member is disposed on-axis between the rear reflective surface and the concave surface for re-reflecting successive fractional portions of the reflected beam a selected number of times to attenuate the beam converging upon a focal plane from an effective focal distance greater than the physical length of the optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1988
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Michael A. Cross, Edward W. Nichols
  • Patent number: 4712914
    Abstract: A system for characterizing miniature optical sources such as laser diodes is disclosed. In its most convenient form the system includes an optical system for collecting a wide angle beam and collimating the beam into substantially parallel rays. In the substantially parallel beam, equal area angular portions of the wide angle beam should correspond to equal areas in the parallel beam. Optical sensors are utilized to generate signals indicative of the intensity of the parallel optical beam. Digital processing is included to calculate the characteristics of the optical beam from the intensity samples of the parallel beam. In one embodiment, a reflecting plane is positioned between the source and the optical system so that Lloyd's fringes are produced in a measurement plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Michael A. Cross, Edward W. Nichols
  • Patent number: 4693600
    Abstract: A system for analyzing the characteristics of a light beam is disclosed. Functionally, the system includes an optical system for collecting the light beam to be analyzed. An array of light-sensitive elements is positioned at the focal plane of the optical system. A digital system sequentially samples the output signals of the light sensors and processes the resulting data to generate signals indicative of the characteristics of the light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Michael A. Cross, Edward W. Nichols