Patents by Inventor Jean-Francois Blanc

Jean-Francois Blanc 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: 9618736
    Abstract: A method for correcting the thermoelastic effects on performance parameters of a telescope on board a space satellite, comprises a first step prior to the flight of the satellite consisting in determining, a priori, a correction of the thermoelastic effects by using a prior model of variations of the thermoelastic effects on the orbital scale and an algorithm for determining correction fed by programming data of the space satellite, and a second step carried out in flight, based on the correction determined a priori, consisting in establishing control messages of correction means for correcting the performance parameters of said telescope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Blanc, Olivier Chanal, Arnaud Liotard, Damiana Losa, Catherine Charbonnel, Christophe Devilliers
  • Patent number: 9584770
    Abstract: A method is provided for the real-time determination of signals to be summed from signals representative of an image portion which are respectively received from detectors belonging to the same optical sensor, the detectors being organized in a matrix formed by rows and columns, the signals to be summed being received on the same column. The method also determines the time during which the detectors must acquire the signals to be summed. The method determines a value representative of a modulation transfer function of at least one lens and/or at least one mirror placed upstream of the optical sensor, and a signal-to-noise ratio of the image portion, based on a location of one of the detectors and on a signal representative of an image portion obtained from the detectors. This representative value is dependent on the number. The method searches for the number and the time maximizing the representative value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Olivier Pigouche, Jean-Francois Blanc, Christophe Renard, Jean-Philippe Mur
  • Patent number: 9232214
    Abstract: An optical monitoring device for an optical imaging system having a focal plane, an optical axis and an entry pupil, forming an image of a scene substantially at infinity on an image detector disposed substantially in the focal plane, comprises: a virtually point-like emission source at the periphery of the detector and substantially in the focal plane; a reflecting element with a plane surface upstream of the imaging system relative to the direction of light rays coming from the scene, and according to a position and inclination where a monitoring image of the source produced by the optical system and reflected by the reflecting element is substantially in the focal plane on a detection element connected to a monitoring image analyzer allowing potential optical defects to be identified; the reflecting element having an annular shape allowing passage of light rays coming from the scene and passing through the entry pupil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Blanc, Kamel Houairi, Stephane Garin, Marc Bernot, Arnaud Liotard, Christophe Devilliers
  • Publication number: 20150085361
    Abstract: The general field provided is that of telescopes comprising an optical system and wavefront-analyzing placed in the focal plane of the optical system. The optical system comprises focusing optics and magnifying optics, the magnifying optics comprising a deformable mirror, the deformation of which is controllable. The telescope comprises monitoring the deformable mirror, comprising a source placed so that the image of the source, after reflection from the deformable mirror, is focused on the wavefront-analyzing. The monitoring comprises a movable mirror having two positions, a rest position and a monitoring position. The source may either be placed in the intermediate focal plane of the focusing optics, or at the focal point of a monitoring mirror, or even in the vicinity of the focal plane of the optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Jean-Francois BLANC, Kamel HOUAIRI, Marc BERNOT, Stephane GARIN
  • Publication number: 20140198222
    Abstract: An optical monitoring device for an optical imaging system having a focal plane, an optical axis and an entry pupil, forming an image of a scene substantially at infinity on an image detector disposed substantially in the focal plane, comprises: a virtually point-like emission source at the periphery of the detector and substantially in the focal plane; a reflecting element with a plane surface upstream of the imaging system relative to the direction of light rays coming from the scene, and according to a position and inclination where a monitoring image of the source produced by the optical system and reflected by the reflecting element is substantially in the focal plane on a detection element connected to a monitoring image analyzer allowing potential optical defects to be identified; the reflecting element having an annular shape allowing passage of light rays coming from the scene and passing through the entry pupil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Inventors: Jean-Francois BLANC, Kamel HOUAIRI, Stephane GARIN, Marc BERNOT, Arnaud LIOTARD, Christophe DEVILLIERS
  • Publication number: 20140146174
    Abstract: A method is provided for the real-time determination of signals to be summed from signals representative of an image portion which are respectively received from detectors belonging to the same optical sensor, the detectors being organized in a matrix formed by rows and columns, the signals to be summed being received on the same column. The method also determines the time during which the detectors must acquire the signals to be summed. The method determines a value representative of a modulation transfer function of at least one lens and/or at least one mirror placed upstream of the optical sensor, and a signal-to-noise ratio of the image portion, based on a location of one of the detectors and on a signal representative of an image portion obtained from the detectors. This representative value is dependent on the number. The method searches for the number and the time maximizing the representative value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Inventors: Olivier PIGOUCHE, Jean-Francois BLANC, Christophe RENARD, Jean-Philippe MUR
  • Publication number: 20130329286
    Abstract: A method for correcting the thermoelastic effects on performance parameters of a telescope on board a space satellite, comprises a first step prior to the flight of the satellite consisting in determining, a priori, a correction of the thermoelastic effects by using a prior model of variations of the thermoelastic effects on the orbital scale and an algorithm for determining correction fed by programming data of the space satellite, and a second step carried out in flight, based on the correction determined a priori, consisting in establishing control messages of correction means for correcting the performance parameters of said telescope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Inventors: Jean-Francois BLANC, Olivier CHANAL, Arnaud LIOTARD, Damiana LOSA, Catherine CHARBONNEL, Christophe DEVILLIERS
  • Patent number: 8309905
    Abstract: The multispectral filter for an image detection device comprises a prismatic plate (85) comprising a first internal face (86) and a second external face (87), the first and the second faces (86, 87) being inclined with respect to one another by an angle ?, and comprises at least two different spectral bands (91, 92, 93, 94) deposited either on the first or the second face (86, 87) of the prismatic plate (85), the various spectral bands (91, 92, 93, 94) being spaced a predetermined distance (D) apart. Application to multispectral imagers, in particular to Off Axis imagers. This filter allows the suppression of the ghost images (or spurious echoes) generated at the focal plane of a multispectral imager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Blanc, Stephane Garin
  • Publication number: 20100065725
    Abstract: The multispectral filter for an image detection device comprises a prismatic plate (85) comprising a first internal face (86) and a second external face (87), the first and the second faces (86, 87) being inclined with respect to one another by an angle ?, and comprises at least two different spectral bands (91, 92, 93, 94) deposited either on the first or the second face (86, 87) of the prismatic plate (85), the various spectral bands (91, 92, 93, 94) being spaced a predetermined distance (D) apart. Application to multispectral imagers, in particular to Off Axis imagers. This filter allows the suppression of the ghost images (or spurious echoes) generated at the focal plane of a multispectral imager.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: Thales
    Inventors: Jean-François Blanc, Stéphane Garin
  • Patent number: D456401
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: France Telecom
    Inventor: Jean-Francois Blanc
  • Patent number: D631909
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Dymo
    Inventors: Jean Francois Blanc, Florian Gounaud, Jullien Thaler
  • Patent number: D642083
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Electricite Reseau Distribution France
    Inventors: Jean-François Blanc, Sébastien Leridon