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:
Feb. 13, 2007
Filed:
May. 06, 2003
Roger Appleby, Malvern, GB;
Rupert Nicholas Anderton, Malvern, GB;
Peter Russell Coward, Malvern, GB;
Alan Harold Lettington, Whiteknights, GB;
Roger Appleby, Malvern, GB;
Rupert Nicholas Anderton, Malvern, GB;
Peter Russell Coward, Malvern, GB;
Alan Harold Lettington, Whiteknights, GB;
Qinetiq Limited, , GB;
Abstract
An apparatus for redirecting radiation including a polarization dependent reflector and an optical component able to transform the polarisation of radiation as it passes through the component. Radiation having a first polarisation component impinging upon the reflector from a source is reflected towards a scene area. Radiation not having this polarisation component passes through the reflector. The radiation having the first polarisation is then transmitted towards a scene via the optical component. As the radiation passes via the optical component, reflects back from the scene and passes again via the optical component, the polarisation is changed to state where it can now pass through the polarisation dependent reflector. The apparatus allows a scene to be illuminated as if the illuminator were positioned at the viewpoint of an imaging system, and so aids uniform illumination of the scene. The apparatus is particularly suited to mm-wave systems, wherein the reflector may comprise a parallel wire grid polarizer, and the optical component may comprise a quarter-wave plate.