Automatic structurally induced line of sight jitter compensation for electro-optical/infrared turret system

A vehicle including:

• a light sensor system including:
• a housing;
• a primary mirror with a reflective side facing in a first direction to receive a primary light along a central axis of the primary mirror from a target object, wherein the primary mirror is disposed within the housing;
• a plurality of light reflectors, at least one of the plurality of light reflectors receiving the primary light directly from the primary mirror, wherein each of the plurality of light reflectors is arranged in a path of the primary light such that each of the plurality of light reflectors receives and reflects the primary light;
• an inertial sensor mount that is fixed to the primary mirror;
• a first reference light source having an output directed along the first direction, the first reference light source attached to the inertial sensor mount and movable with the inertial sensor mount such that, when the inertial sensor mount moves, the output of the first reference light source moves with the inertial sensor mount and outputs a first reference light;
• a second reference light source that is attached to the inertial sensor mount such that, when the inertial sensor mount moves, an output of the second reference light source would move with the inertial sensor mount, wherein the output of the second reference light source is directed along the first direction and outputs a second reference light;
• an inertial sensor that is fixed to the inertial sensor mount such that when the outputs of the reference light sources move the inertial sensor would be moved with the outputs;
• a reference light sensor that would detect the reference lights after the reference lights would reflect off each of the plurality of light reflectors, wherein the reference light sensor is able to detect displacement of the reference lights that is due to structural dynamics of the primary mirror and the plurality of light reflectors;
• a primary light sensor that is arranged to receive the primary light from the plurality of light reflectors, wherein the plurality of light reflectors and the primary mirror are oriented such that the primary light is directed from the primary mirror to the plurality of light reflectors, and from the plurality of light reflectors to the primary light sensor;
• wherein the plurality of light reflectors includes an adjustable light component that is movable based on the detected displacement of the reference lights to compensate for jitter of the light sensor system;
• wherein the output of the first reference light source is arranged opposite the output of the second reference light source relative to the central axis;
• wherein the first reference light source is a first collimated light source and the second reference light source is a second collimated light source.

A method of operating a light sensor system including:

• a housing;
• a primary mirror with a reflective side facing in a first direction to receive a primary light along a central axis of the primary mirror from a target object, wherein the primary mirror is disposed within the housing;
• a plurality of light reflectors, at least one of the plurality of light reflectors receiving the primary light directly from the primary mirror, wherein each of the plurality of light reflectors is arranged in a path of the primary light such that each of the plurality of light reflectors receives and reflects the primary light;
• an inertial sensor mount that is fixed to the primary mirror;
• and
• a reference light source having an output directed along the first direction, the reference light source attached to the inertial sensor mount and movable with the inertial sensor mount such that, when the inertial sensor mount moves, the output of the reference light source moves with the inertial sensor mount;
• wherein the output of the reference light source is fixed relative to a portion, of the inertial sensor mount, that is fixed relative to the primary mirror, whereby the output of the reference light source is fixed relative to the primary mirror;
• and
• wherein the method further includes:
• directing a reference light output by the reference light source to the plurality of light reflectors along the path of the primary light;
• and
• directing the reference light from the plurality of light reflectors to a reference light sensor, thereby providing structural movement information of the primary mirror and/or the plurality of light reflectors to the reference light sensor, wherein the plurality of light reflectors includes at least one adjustable light component that receives the primary light;
• and
• adjusting the at least one adjustable light component based on the structural movement information to compensate for jitter of the light sensor system.

A light sensor system including:

• a housing;
• a primary mirror with a reflective side facing in a first direction to receive a primary light along a central axis of the primary mirror from a target object, wherein the primary mirror is disposed within the housing;
• a plurality of light reflectors, at least one of the plurality of light reflectors receives the primary light directly from the primary mirror, and wherein each of the plurality of light reflectors is arranged in a path of the primary light such that each of the plurality of light reflectors receives and reflects the primary light;
• one or more light obstructions between the primary mirror and the target object, wherein the one or more light obstructions form an obscured region where the primary light from the target object would not pass through to reach the reflective side of the primary mirror;
• and
• a reference light source that is movable with the primary mirror, wherein an output of the reference light source is directed toward a portion, of the obscured region, that is radially inward of a radially outermost portion of the reflective side of the primary mirror, such that when the output provides a reference light the reference light would be radially inward of the radially outermost portion and pass through the portion of the obscured region.

A vehicle including:

• a light sensor system including:
• a housing;
• a primary mirror with a reflective side facing in a first direction to receive a primary light along a central axis of the primary mirror from a target object, wherein the primary mirror is disposed within the housing;
• a plurality of light reflectors, at least one of the plurality of light reflectors receives the primary light directly from the primary mirror, and wherein each of the plurality of light reflectors is arranged in a path of the primary light such that each of the plurality of light reflectors receives and reflects the primary light;
• one or more light obstructions between the primary mirror and the target object, wherein the one or more light obstructions form an obscured region where the primary light from the target object would not pass through to reach the reflective side of the primary mirror;
• and
• a first reference light source that is movable with the primary mirror, wherein an output of the first reference light source is directed toward a portion of the obscured region such that when the output provides a first reference light the first reference light would pass through the portion of the obscured region;
• a second reference light source that is attached to the primary mirror such that when the primary mirror moves the output of the first reference light source and an output of the second reference light source would move with the primary mirror, wherein the output of the second reference light source is directed along the first direction and outputs a second reference light;
• an inertial sensor mount that is fixed to the primary mirror;
• an inertial sensor that is fixed to the inertial sensor mount such that when the outputs of the reference light sources move the inertial sensor would be moved with the outputs;
• a reference light sensor that would detect the reference lights after the reference lights would reflect off each of the plurality of light reflectors, wherein the reference light sensor is able to detect displacement of the reference lights that is due to structural dynamics of the primary mirror and the plurality of light reflectors;
• a primary light sensor that is arranged to receive the primary light from the plurality of light reflectors, wherein the plurality of light reflectors and the primary mirror are oriented such that the primary light is directed from the primary mirror to the plurality of light reflectors, and from the plurality of light reflectors to the primary light sensor;
• wherein the plurality of light reflectors includes an adjustable light component that is movable based on the detected displacement of the reference lights to compensate for jitter of the light sensor system;
• wherein the output of the first reference light source is arranged opposite the output of the second reference light source relative to the central axis;
• wherein the first reference light source is a first collimated light source and the second reference light source is a second collimated light source.

A method of operating a light sensor system including:

• a housing;
• a primary mirror with a reflective side facing in a first direction to receive a primary light along a central axis of the primary mirror from a target object, wherein the primary mirror is disposed within the housing;
• a plurality of light reflectors, at least one of the plurality of light reflectors receives the primary light directly from the primary mirror, and wherein each of the plurality of light reflectors is arranged in a path of the primary light such that each of the plurality of light reflectors receives and reflects the primary light;
• one or more light obstructions between the primary mirror and the target object, wherein the one or more light obstructions form an obscured region where the primary light from the target object would not pass through to reach the reflective side of the primary mirror;
• and
• a reference light source that is movable with the primary mirror, wherein an output of the reference light source is directed toward a portion, of the obscured region, that is radially inward of a radially outermost portion of the reflective side of the primary mirror, such that when the output provides a reference light the reference light would be radially inward of the radially outermost portion and pass through the portion of the obscured region;
• wherein the method further includes:
• directing the reference light to the plurality of light reflectors along the path of the primary light;
• and
• directing the reference light from the plurality of light reflectors to a reference light sensor, thereby providing structural movement information of the primary mirror and/or the plurality of light reflectors to the reference light sensor, wherein the plurality of light reflectors includes at least one adjustable light component that receives the primary light;
• and
• adjusting the at least one adjustable light component based on the structural movement information to compensate for jitter of the light sensor system.