Texas Instruments Corporation

Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc

Raytheon Company

Agfa Gevaert Nv

James M Florence

Jeffrey Brian Sampsell

Clay E Towery

Larry Alan Westerman

Tsen-Hwang Lin

Frank Joseph Poradish

Austin L Huang

R Mark Boysel

James D Huffman

John B Allen

Gregory A Magel

Paul Klocek

Rodney Dean Miller

Robert M Boysel

John Richard Staley, Iii

Gary Alan Feather

David H Rester

Michael Leddy

Mark Boysel

Jeffrey Norris Coleman

Serge M Tavernier

William E Nelson

Dirk K Broddin

Robert B Chipper

John Anthony Tejada

Philip A Congdon

Chung C Wang

Vadlammanti Venkateswar

James St Clair

James Allen McIntosh

Michael Waterman

Phillip A Cox

Gilbert J Islas

James A Delong

John R Iii Staley

Jim Allen Mcintosh

A direct view optical sight including an integrated laser rangefinder. One example of the sight includes an eyepiece, an objective providing an optical aperture and configured to direct electromagnetic radiation from a viewed scene to the eyepiece, an erector tube assembly coupled between the eyepiece and the objective, the laser rangefinder configured to transmit and receive laser radiation, and a beam combiner assembly mounted to the erector tube assembly and positioned between the erector tube assembly and the objective, the beam combiner assembly configured to combine the laser radiation and the electromagnetic radiation to allow the laser rangefinder to transmit and receive the laser radiation via the optical aperture of the objective, and to maintain optical alignment of the laser rangefinder and the viewed scene during movement of the erector tube assembly.

Direct view optical sight with integrated laser system

An electronic eyepiece includes a digital microdisplay and an electrically switchable light blocking mechanism configured to selectively transmit or block light transmitted along an optical path toward the digital microdisplay to protect the microdisplay from the risk of light focus damage. Further, a method of protecting a digital microdisplay of an electronic eyepiece from light focus damage includes determining a risk of light focus damage, and selectively opening or closing an optical path to the digital microdisplay responsive to the risk of light focus damage exceeding a predetermined risk threshold.

Systems and methods for protection of eyepiece displays

A firearm sight can detect engagement of a firing pin with a cartridge, and can respond to this event by saving an image which shows a target and reticle at a point in time just prior to the detected event. An electronic reticle can be downloaded into the sight. The effective position of the reticle within the sight can be adjusted electronically, and a zoom factor of the sight can be adjusted electronically. The sight can sense approximately transverse movement thereof, and can provide a user with an indication of the amount of transverse movement. With the use of an additional device, the sight can automatically align its reticle to the bore of a firearm on which the sight is mounted.

Electronic firearm sight, and method of operating same

A weapon sight can be mounted on a weapon. According to a different aspect of the invention, the sight can detect a level of ambient illumination, and takes a selected action if the detected illumination level is below a selected level.

Method and apparatus for safe operation of an electronic firearm sight depending upon detected ambient illumination

A weapon sight can be mounted on a weapon. According to one aspect of the invention, the sight only presents certain information on a display if the orientation of the sight satisfies an orientation criteria.

Method and apparatus for safe operation of an electronic firearm sight

A weapon sight can be mounted on a weapon. According to still another aspect of the invention, the sight takes a selected action if it detects the presence of a selected color within radiation originating externally of the sight.

Method and apparatus for safe operation of an electronic firearm sight depending upon the detection of a selected color

Projection display systems for light valves such as liquid crystal display panels, and in particular to the use of color component rotators, such as retardation filters, to provide for improved projection display architectures.

Projection display systems for light valves

A polarized light beam splitter system provides a polarized light beam splitter including an embedded wire grid polarizer. Spacers ensure a uniform distance between an exposed surface of an internal wire grid polarizer and a corresponding internal surface of a polarized light beam splitter prism so as to ensure a uniform air gap between the two surfaces and within the prism. The spacers typically comprise rigid spheres having a precise predetermined outer diameter. The spacers are generally distributed within an adhesive, such as epoxy, which is used to adhere the exposed surface of the wire grid polarizer to the internal surface of the prism, around the outer edge of the two surfaces. The exposed surface of the wire grid polarizer and the internal surface of the prism are forced together during adhesion so that the two surfaces are uniformly separated by the an air gap having a width having the same dimension as the diameter of a single spacer.

Polarized light beam splitter assembly including embedded wire grid polarizer

A projection display system using polarized light comprises a light source for generating a light beam having at least two light components, wherein the light components are polarized and at least one of the light components is polarized differently than another of the light components. The projection display system has a projection system having a plurality of polarized light modulators, each modulator generating a light-component-specific image associated with one of the light components. The projection display system also has a projection lens for projecting an image combined from the light-component-specific images from the modulators. The present invention also provides a polarization converter for use with a light source that generates a light beam having at least two light components. The polarization converter comprises an optics array capable of separating the light beam into at least one light component having a polarization that is different than another light component.

Projection display system using polarized light

A system provides a two-panel projection system wherein both display devices run a sequence of red, green, and blue color fields with the sequences staggered so that two different color images are projected at any given time. Each panel shows a color field for two thirds of a frame time while the combination of colors displayed changes every one third of a frame time. With two separate red-green-blue sequences being projected, the display will be twice as bright as a single panel system and the presence of two different color fields at any give time will reduce the visibility of any color splitting artifacts.

Two-panel reflective liquid crystal display projection system and method of using the same

An optical add/drop multiplexer () includes a primary input port (), an express output port (), an add input port (), and a drop output port (). Radiation from the primary input port is reflected by a thin film filter (), is routed back to the filter by a redirecting arrangement (38, 151-153, 251), is then reflected again by the filter, and then travels to the express output port. A signal component from the primary input port at a predetermined wavelength is extracted by the filter as it effects the first reflection, and is supplied to the drop output port. An add signal from the add input port is directed by the filter to the express output port.

Method and apparatus for adding or dropping a component of an optical signal

An optical switch ( ) includes a member ( ) having a plurality of openings ( ) therethrough which are arranged in a periodic pattern. A path ( ) extends through the member from an input to an output, with a subset of the openings disposed along the path. In one operational mode, each of the openings contains a material having an index of refraction which is different from the index of refraction of the member, so as to define a photon band gap configuration that inhibits propagation through the member of radiation at a predetermined wavelength. In a different operational mode, the index of refraction of the subset of openings along the path has a different value, which permits radiation to propagate along the path.

Method and apparatus for switching optical signals with a photon band gap device

A camera is provided that includes an array of optical detectors and an optical filter placed adjacent the array. The optical detectors output detection signals that are used to form control signals. The filter includes spatial sections of individually adjustable optical density. The optical densities are controlled by the individual control signals. The camera outputs the combined control signals and detection signals, thus effectively providing an output with a larger dynamic range than would be provided by the detection signals of the detectors alone. An objective lens and a housing form a stand alone unit. The detectors can have different responses to different wavelengths to achieve color specific effects. Methods are further provided for controlling the filter. The detection signals are scanned to ensure that a predefined filtering condition is met. If not, control signals are iteratively generated and applied to the filter until the condition has been met. Then the detection signals are combined with the control signals to form composite signals that encode the intensity distribution of the beam. Control methods ensure greater dynamic range and accuracy. Image processing methods enhance viewability.

Camera with spatially adjustable variable density optical filter and method for controlling the same

A color field sequential projector includes an electronically controllable quarter waveplate positioned between a reflection device and a polarized light beam splitter, wherein the controllable quarter waveplate is switched to be optimum for particular wavebands as the illumination distribution changes during a color field sequence. The electronically controllable quarter waveplate provides for improved contrast performance and color purity in the projected image.

Color field sequential projector including polarized light beam splitter and electronically controllable birefringence quarter waveplate

A power conservative multi-segment LED transmitter including a multi-segment LED with a plurality of independently addressable LED segments, each LED segment suitable for selectively emitting a beam segment. A controller selectively enables and disables the LED segments. Depending on whether the beam segments overlap or not and whether low or high power is supplied to the enabled LED segments, the combined resulting beam may be a low power steered beam, a power conservative steered beam, an overlapping low power intense steered beam, or an overlapping power conservative steered beam. The steerable multi-segment LED transmitter and receiver system preferably includes an &ldquo;all enabled&rdquo; state in which each of the LED segments are enabled and emit a respective beam segment; a &ldquo;training&rdquo; state in which the LED segments are selectively enabled and disabled and the receiver determines substantially detected beam segments; and a &ldquo;steered&rdquo; state in which only the LED segments emitting the substantially detected beam segments are enabled.

Growing community of inventors

Richardson, TX, United States of America

James M Florence