Hughes Aircraft Company

Hughes Electronics Corporation

David M Masarik

Robert S Hayes

Paul R Salvio

Robert W Klatt

Alex L Kormos

Frank N Cheung

Lacy G Cook

Stuart H Klapper

David Kline

Howard Laitin

Kevin J Wasserstein

A low cost night vision system for use in connection with law enforcement vehicles, marine vessels, and other nonmilitary surface vehicles. The invention includes a night vision camera having an array of uncooled detectors. A mechanism is provided for adjusting the pointing angle of the night vision camera in response to scan control signals. Output signals from the uncooled detectors are further processed into a standard video format and displayed on a conventional display located, for example, within a vehicle or marine vessel.

Low cost night vision system for nonmilitary surface vehicles

A low profile, low cost pointing mechanism for an imaging system. The inventive pointing mechanism (500) includes a mechanism (502, 504) for supporting the imaging system so that it is movable from a first pointing angle to a second pointing angle. A second mechanism (570, 580, 584, 542) is included for driving the supporting mechanism (502, 504) to change the pointing angle thereof in response to signals from a control system. In a preferred embodiment, the inventive pointing mechanism (500) includes a tilt gimbal (502) located at the center of gravity of the imaging system and a pan gimbal (504). The pan and tilt gimbals (502, 504) are driven by pan and tilt stepper motors (542, 526) in response to commands from a joystick (568) on a remote control unit (566).

Camera pointing mechanism using proximate magnetic sensing

An analog signal processor for use with an array of uncooled detectors. Each detector has an amplifier associated therewith and each amplifier provides gain. A first circuit (212, 294, 300, 220) is included for compensating for a DC offset of each detector/amplifier pair of the array. A second circuit (250, 294, 300) corrects for variations in the sensitivity of each detector/amplifier pair. As a result, the outputs each of the detector/amplifier pairs in response to a common input signal are equalized. In a specific implementation, additional circuits are included providing global automatic DC level control across the array (270, 280, 294, 300), global automatic gain control across the array (250, 262, 294, 300) and frame-to-frame offset adjustment (212, 230).

Signal processor for infrared camera

A motor drive system for imparting oscillating motion to a window wiper is disclosed which slows the wiper as it approaches respective right and left positions and holds the wiper at the right and left positions for a selectable delay interval in order to avoid deleterious effects of instantaneous motor direction reversal. The system includes a motor drive chip for generating the drive signal to the window wiper motor, a programmable logic array for sequencing the operation of the motor drive chip, and a delay chip for timing the selected delay.

Window wiper system for small windows

A digital signal processing system (100) removes DC bias in the output of a pyroelectric detector and similar types of detectors by adding together a first output signal which is inverted and a second output signal which is not inverted. The system (100) also removes offsets in the detector signal introduced by electronic circuits (readouts, amplifiers, drivers, etc.) between the detector and the system (100).

Digital signal processing system for removing DC bias in the output of

An automatic gain and level control output circuit. The inventive circuit (10) includes a first component (12) for multiplying an input signal by a first reference signal to provide a gain adjusted signal. The input signal is level shifted by a second reference signal by a second component (16) to provide a level adjusted signal. The gain and level adjusted signals are compared to third and fourth reference signals by third and fourth components (26 and 28), respectively. The outputs of the third and fourth components (26 and 28) are combined to provide a first signal. Either the output of the third component (26) or the fourth component (28) is selected to provide a second signal having a first or a second level respectively. The first signal is integrated to provide the first reference signal and the fourth signal is integrated to provide the second reference signal.

Automatic gain and level control circuit and method

A high resolution gain response correction circuit. The inventive circuit (10) is adapted for use with a first circuit for providing a first analog input signal and includes a second circuit (R.sub.p, R.sub.ref) for providing a second input signal in response to the first input signal. A third circuit (12) is included for providing an analog output signal in response to the first and second input signals. In a particular implementation, the third circuit is a digital-to-analog converter (12). The digital-to-analog converter (12) is adapted to adjust the output signal level in response to an individual pixel correction reference signal. A digital potentiometer (R.sub.p) allows for the first input signal to be scaled and used to adjust the level of the second input signal. By adjusting the setting of the potentiometer, the dynamic range of the output to the digital-to-analog converter may be adjusted. Hence, the inventive arrangement allows for the gain correction range of a digital-to-analog converter to be matched to a particular array under test via software control.

High resolution gain response correction circuit

A miniaturized window wiper includes a mounting hub having a concealed mounting boss therein, the hub being pivotally connected to a wiper arm which further mounts and shrouds a wiper blade holder, the wiper arm being subjected to tension by a torsion spring in order to bias a wiper blade against a window. A motor drive system for imparting oscillating motion to the wiper is also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Laguna Beach, CA, United States of America

David M Masarik