US Government as Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Other

The United States of America as Represented by the Department of Health

Cordless Power Corporation

Glenn B Slagle

A reel-based curved boom that follows a predetermined arch or trajectory is disclosed. Such a disappearing controllable-arch sensor boom or crane can enable a sensor on the end of the boom to be extended from a vehicle over obstacles such as walls or low buildings. It can also be extended to view the underside of bridges, or of the vehicle itself. It can be used to view targets of interest that are not within the direct field of view of the vehicle or from directly above said vehicle.

Controllable-arch sensor boom or crane

Disappearing controllable-arch sensor boom or crane

A thermal imager including a cell containing a fluid whose refractive index varies with temperature and, optical components for focusing the infrared image of a scene to be viewed onto the cell to produce local temperature differences across the fluid. The local temperature differences give rise to local refractive index differences. The thermal imager also includes a Schlieren optical system for reading out the local refractive index differences to reproduce the scene.

Gaseous focal plane thermal imager

Described is a method of image dissection that utilizes random, non-rectangular scan patterns and irregular size and shape picture elements. To do this, matched faceplates would be cut from a fused scrambled fiber optic bundle with fibers of random diameters and cross sections. One faceplate would be placed in contact with the imager focal plane surface. The other faceplate would be placed in contact with the light-emitting surface of the display device. Thus, the images input and output from the imaging system of the invention would match. A video link would connect the focal plane imager and the raster scan display. The raster scan would be accomplished in a random manner so as to provide the best quality refresh rate and image.

Random-scan, random pixel size imaging system

The invention employs a linear variable interference filter, which can be manually moved back and forth along its long axis in front of a slit parallel to its short axis. Thus, the filter pass-band varies linearly from 4,000 angstroms to 10,000 angstroms with a pass-band half-width no greater than 65 angstroms. Therefore, this combination of filter and slit can be placed in front of a charge coupled device (CCD) or other electro-optical imaging device and real time images can be taken as the filter is slid back and forth. Magnifying optics, beam-splitters and scale illuminators can be used to make the scale visible within the field of view of the camera imager. Or, as a simpler embodiment, the graduated image scale could in the form of a hologram of a graduated image scale taken at distance consistent with the desired depth of focus of the camera/imager.

Hyper-spectral/continuously-tunable imager

A system for powering and communicating with a mine or mine simulator, involving magnetic induction coupling between a powered search unit with a resonating primary inductance coil and a secondary inductance loop in the mine device. The current in the secondary loop is rectified in the mine device to provide dc power. The magnetic induction frequency can be in the range from 40 kHz to 1 MHz. The search unit can resonate sequentially or simultaneously at different frequencies, and rectification of the different frequencies in the mine device can provide information to the mine device. Feedback to the search unit can be by the mine device modulating the impedance of its secondary loop, for instance at an audio frequency 1/10th of the frequency of the induction coupling, and by detecting in the search unit the corresponding change in the reflected impedance. A mine device can be armed or disarmed, and report on its status when queried by the search unit coming sufficiently close to the mine device. A mine device can have a selectable active period during which it can kill a tank and provide a corresponding kill signal to the tank crew, be limited to only one kill, delay its arming to allow its planting or withdrawal of the search unit providing the arm signal, etc. A kill signal can be received with a 10 watt power input into a search unit on a tank, while maintaining a clearance of 5 feet from the ground.

Magnetic induction mine arming, disarming and simulation system

Disclosed is a metallic imaging system for detecting and visually displaying the shadow projection of a diamagnetic metallic object immersed in a point source magnetic induction field. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the object is located intermediate a magnetic induction point source transmitter operating, for example, in the 100kHz range and a magnetic receiver consisting of a scanner adapted for two dimensional movement in a projection plane substantially normal to the axial projection of the magnetic induction field. The output of the scanner comprises magnetic phase and amplitude variation signals which are converted to video signals and thereafter fed to an imaging device for producing a display in the form of a television like visual presentation of the projected magnetic shadow image.

Growing community of inventors

McLean, VA, United States of America

Glenn B Slagle