The Secretary of State for Defence

The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Brittanic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Nothern Ireland

Christopher David Burgess

Sean Michael Tsi-Ong Tipper

A method of detecting pulsed radiation comprising the steps of irradiating at least a portion of an array of sensor elements with pulsed radiation (); addressing the array using a rolling shutter operation (); reading the array to obtain a radiation image (); and then applying a pulse detection operation () to the radiation image. The rolling shutter operation () is configured to address each element line of the array for a predetermined integration period. The predetermined integration period being calculated using an integration period function, itself a function of an anticipated pulse repetition interval of the pulsed radiation. The method and apparatus for the same enable low cost camera arrays to be used for pulse detection and for wider application in the field of low cost communications.

Method and apparatus for detecting pulsed radiation

A laser detector apparatus () is provided, where a pixel array () is arranged behind a lens arrangement () such that distant objects () (in general, those at infinity) are out of focus at the pixel array. The image from the pixel array is evaluated by a computer processor () to detect such out of focus images which will be of a known size and shape (generally circular spots of known width). This can enable distant laser threats to be readily distinguished from nearby bright objects (), whilst also protecting the pixel array from powerful laser sources (because the laser energy is not focussed to a point, on the pixel array it is less likely to damage the pixel array). It can also enable the wavelength of the laser to be accurately determined from the ratio of colours in the image of the laser spot, because it will typically not be a saturated image. The apparatus and method are particularly suitable for identifying and distinguishing laser sources across a wide range of brightnesses, and is also suitable for detecting and distinguishing multiple laser sources.

Method and apparatus for detecting a laser

An optically addressed light valve suitable for selectively limiting the transmission of radiation from high intensity light sources comprising an electro-optical modulator sandwiched by two photoconductive layers.

Optically addressed light valve comprising two photoconducting layers placed on each side of an electro-optical modulator

An optically addressed light valve suitable for selectively limiting the transmission of radiation from high intensity light sources independent of wavelength using a TN liquid crystal cell and a photoconductive material (vanadium doped silicon carbide).

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Salisbury, United Kingdom

Christopher David Burgess