Methods and apparatus for acousto-optic non-uniformity correction and counter-countermeasure mechanisms

An infrared seeker system comprising:

• an imaging sensor sensitive to infrared radiation and configured to receive the infrared radiation from a viewed scene and to produce an image from the infrared radiation;
• an optical train including at least one optical component configured to receive the infrared radiation from the viewed scene and to focus the infrared radiation to the imaging sensor;
• and
• an acousto-optic modulator positioned in the optical train and having an ON state and an OFF state, the acousto-optic modulator being transparent to the infrared radiation in the OFF state, and the acousto-optic modulator being configured in the ON state to diffract the infrared radiation and blur the image produced by the imaging sensor from the diffracted infrared radiation.

An optical imaging system with counter-countermeasure capability, the optical imaging system comprising:

• an imaging sensor configured to receive optical radiation and to produce an image of a viewed scene from the optical radiation;
• an optical train including at least one optical component configured to receive the optical radiation from the viewed scene and to focus the optical radiation to the imaging sensor;
• an acousto-optic modulator positioned in the optical train and having an ON state and an OFF state, the acousto-optic modulator being configured in the OFF state to pass the optical radiation, and the acousto-optic modulator being configured in the ON state to diffract the optical radiation and blur the image produced by the imaging sensor from the diffracted optical radiation;
• a controller coupled to the acousto-optic modulator, the controller being configured to dynamically switch the acousto-optic modulator between the ON state and the OFF state;
• and
• a photosensor coupled to the controller, the photosensor configured to receive a laser beam from the viewed scene and to produce a signal in response to receiving the laser beam, the controller being further configured to receive the signal from the photosensor and to switch the acousto-optic modulator into the ON state in response to receiving the signal from the photosensor.