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US 3,944,167 AGranted
Radiation detection apparatus
AssigneeSanders Associates, Inc.
InventorsBurton D. Figler, Theodore J. Nussdorfer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A radiation sensor including an inner detector surrounded by an array of outer detectors is employed in radiation tracking apparatus which is capable of tracking a true target in a field of targets which may include a decoy or false target. The apparatus includes a color filter arrangement and a reticle which cooperates to produce pulses of long and short wavelength filtered infrared radiation upon the outer detectors of the sensor. The apparatus includes means for processing the signals produced by the outer and inner detector elements so as to discriminate between true and false targets and cause the tracking apparatus to track a true target.
Claims17
Radiant energy sensing apparatus comprising:
- a spectral filter including first and second spectral bandpass portions which pass radiations of long and relatively short wavelength, respectively
- a centrally located detector element arranged to receive radiation passing through said first spectral bandpass portion of said spectral filter and which produces a set of signals, the amplitudes of which are a function of the position of an image of a point source target incident thereon;
- and
- a plurality of separate detectors arranged to receive radiation passing through said first and second spectral bandpass portions of said spectral filter surrounding and equally spaced from the center of the centrally located detector and each arranged to produce an output signal in response to the imaging of a point source target thereon, said output signal having a particular characteristic depending on the spectral content of the point source target.
1 more element
Radiation detector apparatus comprising
- an optical device for collecting incident radiations;
- a filter for filtering the collected radiations;
- a detector element for converting the filtered radiations into an electrical signal;
- said filter including
- a revolving disc having a reticle pattern on one planar surface thereof for spatially filtering the collected radiations, said reticle pattern comprising a substantially uniform array of opaque and transparent areas with the exception that at least one opaque area of the uniform array pattern being transparent in one region of the disc planar surface;
- first and second bandpass filters disposed on the opposite planar surface of the disc for passing radiations of long and relatively short wavelengths, respectively, one of said spectral filters having the same shape as and being in registration with said one region and the other spectral filter covering the remainder of said opposite disc surface, said detector element being so located that the detector element receives filtered radiation from the first and second filters;
- means responsive to said electrical signal to produce first and second coupling sampling signals during revolution of said reticle;
- and
- means responsive to the first and second sampling signals to convert the electrical signal produced by the detector element into first and second sequences of signal samples indicative of long and short wavelength filtered radiation, respectively.
6 more elements
Radiation homing apparatus for tracking a field of targets which includes a true target and a false target, said apparatus comprising
- an optical device for collecting incident radiations;
- a filter for filtering the collected radiations;
- a first centrally located detector having a field of view centered on the optical axis of said optical device and producing first output signals indicative of the location of a target image upon its surface;
- means responsive to said first output signals to produce error signals indicative of the deviation from the optical axis of radiation emanating from any of the targets within the field of view of the first detector;
- a guidance device responsive to said error signals to home said optical axis on the centroid of the targets until only one target remains in the optical field of view of the first detector and then to home the optical axis on the remaining target;
- a second detector means having a field of view centered on said optical axis and surrounding the field of view of the first detector and producing second output signals in response to incident radiation from any of said targets which come within its field of view;
- said filter including
- a revolving disc having a reticle pattern on one surface thereof for spatially filtering the collected radiations;
- first and second bandpass spectral filters on another surface of the disc which pass radiations of long and relatively short wavelength, respectively, in the optical field of view of the second detector;
- and
- means responsive to said second output signals to produce correction signals which cause the guidance device to reorient the optical axis only when the radiation is that of the true target so that it comes within the field of view of the first detector.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.