United Technologies Corporation

Hans A Heynau

Peter E Raber

Charles F Hoover

A heterodyne photodetector array, whereby a source beam 32 is reflected off of an object 34 forming a return beam 36 is directed onto an array 48. The array has a centered photodetector cell 52 (FIG. 2) which is surrounded by a plurality of outer photodetector cells 50. The outer cells provide one or more signals for angular tracking of the object, while the center cell provides a signal which may be employed in vibration sensing or other signature measurement applications.

Heterodyne circular photodetector array in a tracking system

An active Q-switch integral laser cartridge is made of an acoustic transmitting body having a photoelastic laser medium in a part thereof for propagating and coupling both optical and acoustic waves. The photoelastic laser medium and the acoustic transmitting body may be made of substantially the same or similar base material.

Active Q-switched laser cartridge

A precision weapon aiming system used in conjunction with an optical radar for a weapon includes a pattern projector mounted to direct preselected optical pulses along the boresight of the weapon. A boresight receiver in the optical radar generates quadrature signals in response to radar returns reflected from the target. The azimuth and elevation of the weapon is varied until the magnitude of the quadrature signals are equal, thereby aligning the weapon boresight on the target.

Spatially modulated, laser aimed sighting system for a ballistic weapon

An aiming point locating system has a single LED mounted on the helmet of a pilot in an aircraft and can be used to designate a point on a cockpit display, or the like, without touching the display. An optical device located in front of the LED tapers the energy pattern from the LED so that a sufficiently varying energy field reaches photodiodes located adjacent the display. The photodiodes are oriented toward the pilot so that they respond directly to the tapered energy field thus allowing greater accuracy in electrically identifying the pilot's aiming point on the display. A two stage switch actuated by the pilot has a partially depressed stage causing a visible aiming reticle to appear on display and a fully depressed stage activating the emitter to obtain an electrical output from the photodiodes. Monopulse processing of the signals from the photodiodes is used to create varying X-Y signals which directly correspond to the coordinates of the point on the display viewed by the pilot.

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Norwalk, CT, United States of America

Hans A Heynau