Raytheon Company

Donnelly Optics

Michael P Schaub

David G Jenkins

Daniel W Brunton

Byron B Taylor

Eric C Fest

Jim Hicks

James P Mills

Ronald L Roncone

Nicholas D Trail

Gregory P Hanauska

Richard C Juergens

Brian S Scott

Page Elizabeth King

Daniel R Melonis

Eero H Ala

Larinn M Hilgemann

Clifton J Charlow

Anthony Vinson Damommio

Jim R Hicks

David Jenkins

Page E King

An optical imaging system and method including a movable pixelated filter array, a shutter mechanism to which the pixelated filter array is attached, and a controller configured to implement a data reduction algorithm. The shutter mechanism is configured to move the pixelated filter array into and out of the optical path, and the data reduction algorithm allows the controller to account for axial and/or lateral misalignment of the filter array relative to the imaging detector array or its conjugate. In certain examples, the controller is further configured to use the data reduction algorithms also to perform wavefront sensing, for example to estimate wavefront error.

Movable pixelated filter array

A pointing device is provided for directing electromagnetic radiation along a line of sight within a flight vehicle. The pointing device includes a beam deviation structure; a rotation assembly configured to support the beam deviation structure such that the beam deviation structure is pivotable about the rotation axis; and a nod gimbal configured to support the rotation assembly and the beam deviation structure such that the rotation assembly and the beam deviation structure are pivotable about a nod axis.

Flight vehicles with improved pointing devices for optical systems

An off-axis reflective transmit telescope for a DIRCM system is mounted on the gimbal along a transmit-axis offset laterally from the optical axis of the receive telescope but nominally aligned with the line-of-sight of the receive telescope to transmit a laser beam. The telescope comprises an optical port optically coupled to a laser to receive and direct the laser beam away from the dome and a reflective optical assembly that reflects the laser beam through the dome. The reflective optical assembly comprises an off-axis mirror segment and a second optical element that together precompensate the laser beam for dome aberrations induced by the lateral offset of the transmit telescope's transmit axis from the optical axis. The off-axis mirror segment comprises a segment of a parent mirror having an aspheric curvature (e.g. parabolic, elliptical or higher-order asphere) about an axis of symmetry. The segment is offset so that it is not centered on the axis of symmetry of the parent mirror. The use of the off-axis mirror segment allows the optical port and any folding mirror to be positioned so that they do not obscure the reflected laser beam. The second optical element may be a segment of a dome corrector parent lens, a prism or a refractive lens formed on the front surface of the off-axis minor segment.

Off-axis reflective transmit telescope for a directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system

A guidance system may include an optical system to focus incident radiation onto a detector configured to generate at least one guidance signal in response to the focused incident radiation. The optical system may include a first lens having a first side and a second side, the first side consisting of a Fresnel lens formed on a generally convex surface and the second side being generally planar.

Projectile guidance system including a compact semi-active laser seeker

Methods and systems for a wave guide according to various aspects of the present invention may be implemented in conjunction with a radiation collection device comprising a light pipe, a first plate and a second plate. The first plate and the second plate may be inserted into the interior of the light pipe to divide the light pipe into sections. In one embodiment, a first section plate and at least a second section plate are inserted into a light pipe. The inserted first section plate and the at least second section plate may be secured to the light pipe.

Methods and systems for wave guides

A lens system having a reduced number of injection-molded singlet lens elements with at least one diffractive surface to control axial and lateral chromatic aberrations is disclosed. In one embodiment, the diffractive surface is placed on the first surface of the third lens, which is closest to the image plane. An opaque spacer provides suppression of stray light from reaching the image plane.

Digital camera objective with diffractive optical surface

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Michael P Schaub