Raytheon Company

Terabeam Corporation

Scott W Sparrold

David James Knapp

James P Mills

Dean B McKenney

Blake G Crowther

Michael Thomas

Richard Dennis Rallison

David R Smith

Richard Brian Riday

William Lauby

Mark R Pratt

Daniel W Brunton

David Bajorins

Charles Gregory Amadon

Harold Alexander Brown

Nicholas Bert Saccketti

Lawrence Cooper Stapleton

James R Myers

Daniel C Harrison

Richard A Paiva

Stephen M Jensen

Thomas D Arndt

Kenneth Scott Ellis

Eric L Upton

Paul K Manhart

Lawrence A Westhoven, Jr

Douglas M Beard

Richard C Juergens

Patrick L McCarthy

Scott Ellis

Michael R Whalen

Albert O Okorogu

James B Mills

Mills James

R Hamilton Shepard, Iii

Lawrence A Westhoven

The disclosed system, device and method for spatial homogenization and focusing of electromagnetic radiation over an aperture to reduce the effects of atmospheric scintillation generally includes an optical lens having an at least partially undulating pattern mapped onto a curvilinear surface. Disclosed features and specifications may be variously controlled, adapted or otherwise optionally modified to eliminate or otherwise reduce the effects of atmospheric scintillation as well as other optical aberrations. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention generally provide improved systems and methods for the acquisition, tracking and engagement of military targets with missiles or other guided ordinance.

Scintillation hardened semi-active laser sensor

A system includes a dome window and an optical system having a central optical path that passes through the dome window. The optical system includes a refractive optical element having an axis of symmetry which passes through the optical element and which is tilted relative to the central optical path at a location where the central optical path and the axis of symmetry intersect within the optical element.

Windowed optical system having a tilted optical element to correct aberrations

A free space point-to-multipoint optical transceiver has a reflective element and an optical feed mounted on the reflective element. When the optical feed is coupled to a light source, the optical feed is positionable to direct light received from the light source onto a reflective surface of the reflective element. Light directed onto the reflective surface is reflected towards a remote location to be received by a receiver located at the remote location. By adjusting a position of the optical feed, the reflected light is aimed. Therefore, adjusting the position of the optical feed provides a technique to track moving remote locations and/or to target different remote locations.

Free space point-to-multipoint optical communication system and apparatus

A holographic optical element (HOE) device is mounted in wireless optical telecommunication system transceiver. The HOE device includes a developed emulsion material having an interference pattern recorded thereon, sandwiched between a pair of elements, such as a pair of clear glass plates. In operation, the HOE device uses the recorded interference pattern to diffract received light rays towards an optical processing unit of the system receiver. A transmitter unit can be positioned at least in part behind the HOE device. An opening in the emulsion material allows a light signal transmitted from the transmitter unit to be substantially unaffected by the recorded interference pattern. The transceiver can also include a spotting scope and an alignment beacon.

Transceiver for a wireless optical telecommunication system

A sensor system includes a sensor, and an optical train adjustable to provide an optical beam to the sensor from a selected line of sight that may be varied. The optical train includes a wavefront error-introducing element in the optical train, which introduces a wavefront error that is a function of the selected line of sight. There is further a rigid-body wavefront error-correcting element in the optical train. The rigid-body wavefront error-correcting element has a spatially dependent correction structure with the nature of the correction being a function of the selected line of sight. The adjustment of the optical train to the selected line of sight moves the optical beam to the appropriate location of the rigid-body wavefront error-correcting element to correct for the corresponding introduced wavefront error of the wavefront error-introducing element at that selected line of sight.

Sensor system with rigid-body error correcting element

A steerable optical arrangement. The inventive arrangement includes a first prism mounted for rotation about an optical axis and a second prism mounted for rotation about the optical axis. In accordance with the inventive teachings, the first prism and/or the second prism have at least one surface contoured to correct for optical aberration. In the illustrative embodiment, the first and second prisms are Risley prisms. In addition, the illustrative implementation includes a first motor arrangement for rotating the first prism about the optical axis and a second motor arrangement for rotating the second prism about the optical axis. A controller is provided for activating the first and second motors to steer the beam at an angle &phgr; and nod the beam at an angle &thgr;. At least two surfaces at least one prism is contoured to correct for astigmatism, coma, trefoil and other non-rotationally symmetric aberration. The contour is effected by laser etching, micro-machining or optical thin-film coating of the prisms in the manner disclosed herein.

Beam steering optical arrangement using Risley prisms with surface contours for aberration correction

A missile seeker. The inventive missile seeker includes a dome within which a novel optical arrangement is retained. The optical arrangement includes a first prism mounted for rotation about an optical axis and a second prism mounted for rotation about the optical axis. In the illustrative embodiment, the first and second prisms are Risley prisms. In addition, the illustrative implementation includes a first motor arrangement for rotating the first prism about the optical axis and a second motor arrangement for rotating the second prism about the optical axis. A controller is provided for activating the first and second motors to steer the beam at an angle &phgr; and nod the beam at an angle &thgr;. In a specific implementation, the first prism and/or the second prism have at least two surfaces contoured to correct for optical aberration. A teaching is provided to contour the surfaces to correct for astigmatism, coma, trefoil and other non-rotationally symettric abberation. The contour may be effected by laser etching, micro-machining optical thin-film coating or other such technique.

Missile seeker having a beam steering optical arrangement using risley prisms

An optical system includes a curved window, an optical corrector adjacent to a curved inner surface of the window, an optical train positioned such that the optical corrector lies between the curved window and the optical train, a movable optical train support upon which the optical train is mounted, and a sensor disposed to receive an optical ray passing sequentially through the window, the optical corrector, and the optical train. The optical corrector has an inner surface and an outer surface, at least one of which has a shape described by a modified Zernike polynomial surface.

Optical system with zernike-shaped corrector

An optical system includes a curved window, an asymmetric, scoop-shaped optical corrector adjacent to a curved inner surface of the window, an optical train positioned such that the optical corrector lies between the curved window and the optical train, a movable optical train support upon which the optical train is mounted, and a sensor disposed to receive an optical ray passing sequentially through the window, the optical corrector, and the optical train. The optical corrector has an inner surface and an outer surface, at least one of which has a shape defined by an asymmetric polynomial.

Optical system with asymmetric optical corrector

A blur film is made of a polymeric film material transmissive to infrared energy of a selected waveband, which is affixed to a surface of a substrate transmissive to energy of the same selected infrared waveband. The blur film has a texture or a plurality of lenslets thereon, where the surface of each lenslet is a surface of revolution. In a spatial-filter wheel application, the blur film and substrate are affixed to a support, which in turn is rotatably mounted on a drive. The support is structured such that a portion of its circumference is covered by the blur film and a portion of its circumference is not covered by the blur film. The spatial-filter wheel is rotated in front of a detector to produce alternating blurred and direct images on the detector.

Method of fabricating a blur film assembly

A programmable optical system that dynamically corrects or induces aberrations into the optical path of a missile seeker. The system is dynamic in that the amount and type of aberration may be changed while the missile is in flight. The dynamic correction is accomplished by means of deformations applied to a low-mass mirror or mirrors in the optical path of the missile seeker. The missile includes an aspheric dome, and the optical system is dynamically compensated for aberrations introduced by the dome as the seeker system is moved through the field of regard.

Sensor system with dynamic optical corrector

An optical system includes a window made of a curved piece of a transparent material having an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface has a nominal inner surface shape defined by a first conicoidal relationship, and the outer surface has a nominal general aspheric surface shape. The optical system also typically includes a sensor and an optical train on the side of the inner surface of the window. The accuracy of the shape of the inner surface is tested by directing a coherent light beam through a remote focus of the inner surface, reflecting the light beam from the inner surface toward an adjacent focus of the inner surface, reflecting the light beam from a spherical reflector at the adjacent focus of the inner surface and back toward the inner surface, reflecting the light beam from the inner surface back toward the remote focus, and interferometrically comparing the reflected beam arriving at the remote focus with a reference beam.

Optical system with a window having a conicoidal inner surface, and testing of the optical system

An optical system includes a housing having an axis of elongation, and a non-spherical window affixed to the housing. An optical corrector, preferably in the form of an aspherical strip of transparent material, is positioned adjacent to the curved inner surface of the window. The optical corrector is mounted on an optical corrector support, which is rotatable about the axis of elongation. An optical rain is positioned such the the optical corrector lies between the window and the optical train. The optical train includes at least one optical element operable to alter an optical ray incident thereon, and a gimbal upon which the at least one optical element is mounted. The gimbal is pivotable about a transverse axis perpendicular to the axis of elongation. The optical train is mounted on an optical train support, which is movable independently of the optical corrector support. A sensor is positioned to receive the optical ray passing sequentially through the window, the optical corrector, and the optical train.

Optical system and method for providing corrected optical images

Blur film assembly for infrared optical applications

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Scott W Sparrold