Solid State Scientific Corporation

Jonathan Martin Mooney

Richard J Nelson

William S Ewing

An imager for imaging a plurality of images of a single scene over a plurality of disparate electromagnetic wavelength sets includes front-end optics for outputting a polychromatic, collimated image beam of the scene; a beam displacer configured for splitting the collimated image beam into spatially displaced, mutually parallel beams, and an imaging-sensor array configured for registration of the spatially displaced wavelength sets at disparate locations along the imaging-sensor array. In alternative versions, the beam displacer displaces constituent light beams based on at least one of wavelength and polarization. In various implementations, a back-end focusing element focuses each constituent beam onto a predetermined location along the imaging-sensor array. The imaging-sensor array is optimally configured for simultaneous sampling of the plural images focused thereupon by the back-end focusing elements.

Spectral, polar and spectral-polar imagers for use in space situational awareness

Apparatus for registering the spectral signature of a dynamic source event include an imaging-sensor array configured to register electromagnetic energy over a predetermined range of electromagnetic wavelengths and an optical system configured for imaging onto the imaging-sensor array a dispersion pattern of electromagnetic energy emitted from a source event external to the optical system. The optical system includes (i) a focusing element and (ii) a selected set of optical dispersion apparatus. Among the optical dispersion apparatus are at least a first optically dispersive element that disperses a first selected set of wavelengths within the sensitivity range of the imaging-sensor array and at least a second optically dispersive element that disperses a second selected set of wavelengths within the sensitivity range of the imaging-sensor array such that wavelengths emitted from a source event that are within the first and second selected sets of wavelengths impinge simultaneously upon the imaging-sensor array along, respectively, a first extrapolated axis and a second extrapolated axis that is non-parallel to the first extrapolated axis.

Apparatus for registering and analyzing the spectral signature of a dynamic event

A remote sensor for detection of the initiation of combustion includes a broad-band sensor, associated signal processing and an interface to the user. The sensor uses the signature formed by the temporal evolution of the spectral emission intrinsic to combustion as a fingerprint for detecting the combustion. The sensor can autonomously monitor a scene and issue an alert as warranted.

Apparatus for and methods of detecting combustion ignition

A method of analyzing the spectral signature of a point-like dynamic source event in order to approximate the location of the source event within a predetermined field of view is implemented by a spectral analysis system including (i) a data processing system; (ii) an imaging-sensor array communicatively linked to the data processing system and (iii) an optical system adapted for imaging a dispersion pattern of electromagnetic energy emitted from a source event onto the imaging-sensor array. A dispersion-pattern data set associating the optical system with data indicative of a set of pre-contrived electromagnetic-energy dispersion patterns attributed to the optical system is created based on at least one of (i) theoretically and (ii) experimentally determined characteristics of the optical system and maintained in computer memory. The data set includes at least one dispersion signature correlating a source-event location within a predetermined field of view with impingement positions upon the imaging-sensor array of a plurality of dispersed wavelengths. When polychromatic electromagnetic energy emitted from an event to be analyzed is passed through the optical system, the resulting dispersion pattern is registered at the imaging-sensor array and data indicative of the registered dispersion pattern is stored in computer memory. A spectral analysis algorithm co-orients a pre-stored dispersion signature with the registered dispersion pattern and approximates the location of the source event.

Apparatus for and methods of analyzing the spectral signature of a dynamic event

A multi-band direct prism comprising at least first and second prismatic elements of disparate refractive indices facilitates the contemporaneous analysis of dispersed emergent light energy within at least two distinct and predetermined sets of energy wavelengths wherein one wavelength within each of the at least two wavelength sets emerges from the direct vision prism with no net angular deviation.

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Irvine, CA, United States of America

Jonathan Martin Mooney