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:
Sep. 05, 1995
Filed:
Aug. 03, 1993
Marco A Lopez, Villa Park, CA (US);
Lawrence Scherr, Altadena, CA (US);
Neil R Nelson, Anaheim, CA (US);
Northrop Grumman Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A non-mechanically scanned optical sensor system includes a stationary sensor array having an image plane, a lens system characterized by a field of view corresponding to image of a scene viewed by the lens system, an image divider for dividing the image into plural contiguous sub-images and a device for directing each of the sub-images onto substantially the entirety of the image plane of the sensor array. The directing device in one embodiment is an array of small lenses coextensive with respective light beams of respective sub-images of an image viewed by the lens system. In another embodiment, both the image divider and the directing device are realized together as an X-Y addressable array of electrically deformable optical elements, such as silicon micro-mirrors, individually directing respective ones of the sub-images to the sensor array. In another embodiment, the image divider is a spatial light modulator having an array of optical shutters controlling respective sub-images.