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.

Date of Patent:
Jan. 14, 2003

Filed:

Apr. 16, 2001
Applicant:
Inventors:

Les H. Richards, Round Rock, TX (US);

James E. Nicholson, Austin, TX (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01B 1/126 ; F41G 7/00 ; G01C 2/102 ; G01V 1/42 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01B 1/126 ; F41G 7/00 ; G01C 2/102 ; G01V 1/42 ;
Abstract

One version of the invention relates to a laser detection system that includes a ball lens and a plurality of fiber optic bundles placed adjacent the ball lens so that incoming light rays are focused onto the bundles by the ball lens. In one particular version of the invention, a ball lens is one that can provide an almost infinite number of “principal” axes for off-axis light. Each fiber optic bundle is aimed in a different direction from each other bundle so that each bundle will have a different FOV even though the same ball lens is used to focus the incoming light rays.


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