Patents by Inventor Jean-Luc Espie
Jean-Luc Espie 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).
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Patent number: 10620438Abstract: Monocular or binocular viewing systems worn on the head of a user are provided. Each monocular assembly comprises a display and an optical assembly including an optical relay and a partially transparent optical combiner taking the form of an inclined curved plate, each optical assembly arranged to form a second image at infinity from a first image displayed by a display. The optics are to be crossed such that, in the case of a binocular system, if one optical combiner is placed in front of the right eye of the user, the optical relay and the corresponding display are placed in a forehead-facing position above the left eye of the user and under the optical combiner located on the left-hand side. This arrangement is obtained by judiciously choosing the geometric parameters of the various optical elements, their curvatures and the form of their surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2015Date of Patent: April 14, 2020Assignee: THALESInventors: Jean-Luc Espie, Frédéric Diaz
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Publication number: 20170343818Abstract: Monocular or binocular viewing systems worn on the head of a user are provided. Each monocular assembly comprises a display and an optical assembly including an optical relay and a partially transparent optical combiner taking the form of an inclined curved plate, each optical assembly arranged to form a second image at infinity from a first image displayed by a display. The optics are to be crossed such that, in the case of a binocular system, if one optical combiner is placed in front of the right eye of the user, the optical relay and the corresponding display are placed in a forehead-facing position above the left eye of the user and under the optical combiner located on the left-hand side. This arrangement is obtained by judiciously choosing the geometric parameters of the various optical elements, their curvatures and the form of their surfaces.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2015Publication date: November 30, 2017Inventors: Jean-Luc ESPIE, Frédéric DIAZ
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Patent number: 9191585Abstract: A modular night visualization system with fused optical sensors comprises a light-intensifying base module and an image-sensing auxiliary module. The connections according to the system provide a modular system in which the auxiliary module is easily interchangeable with a different auxiliary module. Thus, a compact and modular visualization system that is operationally easier to use is provided. The system may be a night-vision field-glass for a foot soldier enabling fusion of sensors. Any other application for a vision field-glass with fused sensors is possible.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2011Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignee: ThalesInventors: Joel Rollin, Jean-Luc Espie
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Publication number: 20130128004Abstract: A modular night visualization system with fused optical sensors comprises a light-intensifying base module and an image-sensing auxiliary module. The connections according to the system provide a modular system in which the auxiliary module is easily interchangeable with a different auxiliary module. Thus, a compact and modular visualization system that is operationally easier to use is provided. The system may be a night-vision field-glass for a foot soldier enabling fusion of sensors. Any other application for a vision field-glass with fused sensors is possible.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2011Publication date: May 23, 2013Applicant: THALESInventors: Joel Rollin, Jean-Luc Espie
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Patent number: 7409792Abstract: The field of the invention is that of weapon aiming sights having a light intensifier. To make certain firing modes safe, a weapon may be provided with a camera allowing a soldier to take aim while remaining protected. The proposed invention allows this function to be fulfilled at night. For this purpose, a night vision aiming sight with a light intensifier comprising two optical channels is fitted onto the weapon. The first optical channel provides the camera placed on the weapon with an intensified image. The second optical channel provides the firer with a directly observable intensified image. In a variant, the aiming sight also includes a display that supplies the soldier with additional information superimposed on the intensified images.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2004Date of Patent: August 12, 2008Assignee: ThalesInventors: Gabriel Narcy, Jean-Luc Espie
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Publication number: 20060230665Abstract: The field of the invention is that of weapon aiming sights having a light intensifier. To make certain firing modes safe, a weapon may be provided with a camera allowing a soldier to take aim while remaining protected. The proposed invention allows this function to be fulfilled at night. For this purpose, a night vision aiming sight with a light intensifier comprising two optical channels is fitted onto the weapon. The first optical channel provides the camera placed on the weapon with an intensified image. The second optical channel provides the firer with a directly observable intensified image. In a variant, the aiming sight also includes a display that supplies the soldier with additional information superimposed on the intensified images.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2004Publication date: October 19, 2006Inventors: Gabriel Narcy, Jean-Luc Espie
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Patent number: 6097527Abstract: A system for the reduction of a laser equivalent surface area and for the optical protection of an optical device including a first polarizer and a first multiple wavelength quarter-wave plate placed in series in the path of a multiple wavelength light beam between the polarizer and the optical device. This system brings into play polarized light, and associates a liquid crystal shutter with it, providing for protection against optical aggression. The entire unit may take the form of a detachable optical attachment.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 1998Date of Patent: August 1, 2000Assignee: Thomson-CSFInventors: Denis Mazerolle, Claude Puech, Jean-Luc Espie
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Patent number: 5712726Abstract: Compact binoculars for nighttime vision with a center of gravity close to the user. The binoculars have an optical architecture with an inclined principle pathway. The principle pathway extends by way of a first eyepiece pathway with a second eyepiece pathway branching in a different direction. The binoculars include a bent entrance objective conjugate with a light intensifier tube forming an image of a scene along a viewing axis. The image is next transmitted on the two eyepiece pathways to two eyepieces by way of an optical splitter. The splitter partially transmits the flux to a first eyepiece pathway inclined with respect to the plane of the eyepieces and on a second eyepiece pathway which has an axis lying in the plane perpendicular to the viewing axis and passing through the axis of the principle pathway.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 1996Date of Patent: January 27, 1998Assignee: Angenieux SAInventors: Jean-Luc Espie, Bruno Coumert
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Patent number: 5282082Abstract: A binocular-type optical device for night as well as day vision. A night vision optical device is located in a central body. The night vision optical device includes an optical path which is folded through a pair of opposed holes in a central body containing the night vision device. Two lateral bodies are affixed to the central body, each lateral body having a hole facing the holes in the central body. One of the lateral bodies faces an oblong hole in the central body, and is rotatable with respect to the central body. Each of the lateral bodies includes a day vision optical system having an objective at one end and an eyepiece at another end. A mirror contained in each lateral body are adjustable to permit either the folded night vision optical path or the day vision optical path to be received by a pair of common eyepieces.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 1991Date of Patent: January 25, 1994Assignee: Thomson TRT DefenseInventors: Jean-Luc Espie, Gilbert Poulon
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Patent number: 5239411Abstract: The field of the disclosure is that of enlarging optical lenses and, more precisely, binocular optical systems designed to be inserted into the night-time channel of an observation system, between a light intensifier tube and an observer's eyes. The disclosure can be applied especially to observation instruments for armored vehicles and, notably, periscopes for tanks. The disclosed optical system for a binocular device is of the type constituted by two groups, a forward group and a rear group, the rear group being constituted by a bonded doublet with plane rear face comprising a convergent convex lens bonded to a divergent lens, the lenses of the bonded doublet having different and complementary dispersions to compensate for the chromatism, and the focal length of the doublet ranging from 0.85F to 1.05F, where F is the focal length of the binocular device.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 1991Date of Patent: August 24, 1993Assignee: Thomson TRT DefenseInventors: Jean-Luc Espie, Isabelle Gonnaud
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Patent number: 4758076Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 18, 1986Date of Patent: July 19, 1988Assignee: U.S. Philips CorporationInventors: Fernand R. Loy, Jean-Luc Espie
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Patent number: 4721374Abstract: The apparatus contained in a single housing (1) comprises a first movable input reflector (4) and a second input reflector (5) for causing the input light beams to deviate along the optical axis (11) of the night path and optical axis (7) of the day path, respectively. The night path is constituted by an objective (12), a light intensifier tube (13) and a bent ocular (14) and the day path is constituted by an optical system having a second output reflector (9). The optical axes of the night path and of the day path extend in a sagittal plane (7, 11) of the carrying vehicle; on the other hand, the first input reflector and the second output reflector are alternately concealable by manipulation of the second output reflector. For viewing by night the first input reflector in the active position is situated before the second input reflector, the second output reflector being in the concealed position.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 1986Date of Patent: January 26, 1988Assignee: U.S. Philips CorporationInventors: Fernand R. Loy, Jean-Luc Espie