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:
May. 31, 1988
Filed:
May. 15, 1986
Otto Hofmann, Kirchstockach, DE;
Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm GmbH, Munich, DE;
Abstract
In the disclosed device, a lens arrangement focuses light upon a detecting sensor arrangement as a vehicle passes over an object, such as the ground, whose surface is to be determined. An optical device slews the path of light to the lens arrangement from left to right relative to the direction of vehicle movement. In one embodiment, a four-part prism rotating on an axis along the direction of vehicle movement passes light through three lenses angled down, for, and aft the vertical and separate radiation detectors simultaneously sense radiation from the earth's surface. In another embodiment, a rotating hexagonal prism has outer reflecting surfaces skewed normal, for, and aft, so that a single lens views sequential signals and applies them to a radiation detector. The signals are sampled, held, digitally converted, recorded, and stored.