Wide-angle seeker
OwnerMikhail Gutininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Seeker optics and a related method comprising: an objective for collecting and transmitting light from a target; at least one scattering surface; and a photo detector; wherein: the light transmitted from the objective at small off-boresight target angles propagates to and impinges upon the photo detector without impinging upon the scattering surface; the light transmitted from the objective at large off-boresight target angles propagates to, impinges upon and scatters upon the scattering surface; and the light scattered by the scattering surface propagates to and impinges upon the photo detector; whereby: the target may be detected and tracked at both small and large off-boresight angles, in a wide field of regard.
Claims30
Seeker optics comprising:
- an objective for collecting and transmitting light from a target;
- at least one scattering surface;
- and
- a photo detector;
- wherein:
- the light transmitted from said objective at small off-boresight target angles propagates to and impinges upon said photo detector without impinging upon said scattering surface;
- the light transmitted from said objective at large off-boresight target angles propagates to, impinges upon and scatters upon said scattering surface;
- and
- the light scattered by said scattering surface propagates to and impinges upon said photo detector;
- whereby:
- the target may be detected and tracked at both small and large off-boresight angles, in a wide field of regard.
A method for using seeker optics to detect and track a target at both small and large off-boresight angles, in a wide field of regard, said method comprising:
- collecting and transmitting light from the target using an objective of said seeker optics;
- propagating to and impinging upon a photo detector of said seeker optics, the light transmitted from said objective at small off-boresight target angles, without the light impinging upon at least one scattering surface of said seeker optics;
- propagating to, impinging upon and scattering upon said scattering surface, the light transmitted from said objective at large off-boresight target angles;
- and
- propagating to and impinging upon said photo detector, the light scattered by said scattering surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.