The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 21, 1986
Filed:
Nov. 09, 1984
Wolfgang Weigel, Dossenheim, DE;
Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A thermal imaging device uses a scanning mirror (2) to guide incident radiation to a detector array (4) which, after optoelectronic conversion, drives a light-emitting diode array (6) synchronously; this image is represented via the back of the scanning mirror on the imaging optical system (9). On the visual collimator side of the scanning mirror, a scan position sensor (12) including a light source (12a) is provided in addition to a detector (12b), a beam splitter (12d), and a collimator objective (12c). A plane plate (7) which operates as a dichroic beam splitter is shown between the scanning mirror (2) and the light-emitting diode array (6). Another dichroic beam splitter (8) is shown between the scanning mirror (2) and the scan position sensor (12). Autocollimation is obtained since both beam splitters reflect the radiation from the light source in the direction of the scanning mirror. When the scanning mirror is deployed in a predetermined mirror position, the light source can be imaged on the associated detector. The great advantage of this invention is that the sensor can be arranged at any beam path angle relative to the scanning mirror as opposed to the rigid requirement of a perpendicular beam path angle in prior devices.