United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Sandia Corporation

David V Wick

Ty Martinez

Mark A Kramer

An active optical zoom system changes the magnification (or effective focal length) of an optical imaging system by utilizing two or more active optics in a conventional optical system. The system can create relatively large changes in system magnification with very small changes in the focal lengths of individual active elements by leveraging the optical power of the conventional optical elements (e.g., passive lenses and mirrors) surrounding the active optics. The active optics serve primarily as variable focal-length lenses or mirrors, although adding other aberrations enables increased utility. The active optics can either be LC SLMs, used in a transmissive optical zoom system, or DMs, used in a reflective optical zoom system. By appropriately designing the optical system, the variable focal-length lenses or mirrors can provide the flexibility necessary to change the overall system focal length (i.e., effective focal length), and therefore magnification, that is normally accomplished with mechanical motion in conventional zoom lenses. The active optics can provide additional flexibility by allowing magnification to occur anywhere within the FOV of the system, not just on-axis as in a conventional system.

Active optical zoom system

PRS0847A foveated imaging system using a relatively simple optical imaging system with a reflective spatial light modulator at or near a pupil plane to correct off-axis aberrations. Maximum resolution is obtained for a single fixation point (foveal region) within the field of view at a time. The fixation point can be changed manually, by a predetermined scan pattern, or automatically varied for surveillance or tracking applications. A pre-calibrated look up table is used to vary the reflective spatial light modulator for each fixation point.

Wide field-of-view imaging system using a reflective spatial light modulator

A foveated imaging system using a relatively simple optical imaging system with a spatial light modulator located at or near a pupil plane to correct aberrations. Maximum resolution is obtained for a limited region defined by a single fixation point (a foveal region) within the field of view. The fixation point can be changed manually, by using a predetermined scan pattern, or automatically varied for surveillance or tracking applications.

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Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

David V Wick