Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Christopher Brendan Svec

John Edwin Jackson

Alan Greenland

Hao C Tran

Christopher Lee Kauffman

Douglas M Essex

An optical rotary joint includes first and second hollow tubular members. At least one of the first and second hollow tubular members is rotatable about a common longitudinal axis. A ring shaped optical waveguide between the first and second hollow tubular members includes first and second axial faces oriented perpendicular to the common longitudinal axis, an inner circumferential edge facing the outer circumference of the first hollow tubular member, an outer circumferential edge facing the inner circumference of the second hollow tubular member, and a circular light scattering channel formed in the first and/or second axial faces. First optical emitters are arranged to face the outer or inner circumferential edge. Second optical emitters are arranged to face the channel. A first optical receiver is arranged to face the outer or inner circumferential edge. A second optical receiver is arranged to face the channel.

Hollow shaft optical rotary joint

A compact, uniaxially-aligned series of lenses are shaped and coated to allow coaxial viewing of two different fields of view on the same focal-plane array by selecting a type of light. The selection can be, for example, by spectrum or polarization. Zonal coatings on the lens surfaces permit for a catadioptric narrow field-of-view light path. The lens assembly accomplishes simultaneous dual field-of-view in a durable package without respective motion of optical elements, without substantial gaps between the lenses, and at lower cost than other assemblies.

Compact, simultaneous dual field of view through a common aperture

Systems and methods are provided for a solid filled mirrored lens system capable of wider fields of view and wider spectra than current lens systems. The mirrored lens is used to focus light incident upon a right circular cylindrical central body comprising a substantially planar first surface and a substantially planar second surface. A primary reflecting surface is located on the second surface of the central body and shaped as an annulus with a void in the central region of the second surface. Further, a secondary reflecting surface is located in a central region of the first surface facing the primary reflecting surface.

Mirrored lens for wide field of view and wide spectrum

Systems and methods are provided for providing wideband diffraction limited performance in an optical receiver. A first lens is constructed from a first material and has a first surface and a second surface. A second lens is constructed from a second material and having a first surface and a second surface. The second lens is positioned such that a first surface of the second lens faces a second surface of the first lens across a gap of air. A diffraction grating is applied to one of the first and second surfaces of the first and second lenses.

Wideband diffraction limited optical receiver

A method and apparatus is provided for selectively attenuating narrowband high intensity bright sources from an incoming light source in an imaging system creating a focal plane array. The method comprises receiving and conditioning incoming light in a at least one group of optics; receiving the into a line attenuation tunable optical filter (LATOF) which creates a rejection band; tilting the LATOF at least one increment to selectively attenuate the bright sources from the receive conditioned light; receiving the conditioned light and selectively attenuated light into an opto-electronic detector; and converting the light into an output for an electronic image, wherein saturation of the focal plane array decreases and contrast is restored in the electronic image.

Line attenuation tunable optical filter

Apparatus which directs light rays from a distant target area scene to a plurality of wavelength detection systems without wavelength degradation. A reflective afocal telescope directs the light rays from the scene to a MEMS mirror array which redirects the rays to selected ones of the detection systems. The MEMS mirror array has individually controllable mirror elements which are driven to predetermined angular orientations to accomplish the light ray redirection. Outputs from the detection systems may be provide to a computer for analysis and/or viewing.

Optical viewing apparatus

An apparatus in one example comprises a corner cube that comprises a first side, a second side, and a third side that cooperate to retro-reflect an incoming beam of light and output an outgoing beam of light. One or more of the first side, the second side, and the third side of the corner cube serve to contribute substantially to a decrease of over twenty percent in an amplitude of the outgoing beam of light relative to an amplitude of the incoming beam of light.

Growing community of inventors

Palatine, IL, United States of America

Christopher Brendan Svec