T3 Module Architecture
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorJohn Blackburn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure is directed to apparatuses, systems, and methods associated with an improved optical architecture. An optical telescope having a longitudinal axis is configured to allow a beam having a first wavelength to laterally transverse a telescope barrel along a first axis. An optical module directs and corrects the beam from the first axis to a second and third axis, and to a beam expander. The beam expander transmits a beam having a second wavelength through the optical telescope along the longitudinal axis. The optical architecture may be incorporated onto an on-gimbal component that is side-mounted to a gimbaled system, as a method of minimizing the operational burdens on the gimbaled system.
Claims20
A beam director, comprising:
- an optical sensor suite;
- an optical telescope barrel including a longitudinal axis and defining an optical telescope, the optical telescope positioned proximate to and operationally coupled to the optical sensor suite;
- an entering pass-through aperture and an exiting pass-through aperture, each located on the optical telescope barrel substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, which permit an incoming laser beam to enter, travel laterally across, and exit the optical telescope barrel;
- and
- an optical module comprising a first mirror and a second mirror, configured to direct the incoming laser beam exiting the optical telescope barrel to the optical suite.
An optical system for routing a beam of electromagnetic energy, comprising:
- a telescope barrel having a first and second end, and a longitudinal axis defining a telescope;
- at least one pass-through aperture located on the telescope barrel configured to permit a first beam of electromagnetic energy to enter the telescope barrel along a second axis, travel laterally across the telescope barrel, and exit the telescope barrel;
- a first mirror proximate the pass-through aperture and configured to reflect the first beam of electromagnetic energy from the second axis to a third axis;
- a second mirror proximate the first mirror, the second mirror configured to reflect the first beam of electromagnetic energy from the third axis to a fourth axis;
- and,
- an optical sensor proximate the second mirror, the optical sensor configured to receive and direct the first beam of electromagnetic energy from the fourth axis through an end of the telescope barrel along the longitudinal axis.
A method for routing a beam of electromagnetic energy, comprising:
- providing an optical telescope barrel comprising:
- a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis defining an optical telescope;
- and
- at least one pass-through aperture located on the optical telescope barrel configured to allow a first beam of electromagnetic energy to travel laterally across the optical telescope barrel along a second axis;
- providing an optics module comprising a first mirror and a second mirror proximate the aperture;
- directing the first beam of electromagnetic energy at a first wavelength into the aperture, laterally through the optical telescope barrel, and to the first mirror;
- routing the first beam of electromagnetic energy at the first wavelength from the first mirror along a second axis and to the second mirror;
- routing the first beam of electromagnetic energy at the first wavelength from the second mirror along a third axis to an optical sensor;
- and,
- directing the first beam of electromagnetic energy at the first wavelength from the optical sensor to the optical telescope barrel along the longitudinal axis.
The method of claim of 12, further comprising mounting the optical telescope barrel to a gimbaled system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.