Optically multiplexed dual line of sight flir system

An independent dual line of sight forward looking infrared navigation and target acquisition and tracking system mounted on an aircraft for providing separate pilotage and targeting functions, comprising:

• a first and a second line of sight optical gimbal assembly, independently controllable by an operator located in said aircraft, for receiving respective infrared images in first and second fields of view directed along separate first and second lines of sight, said first field of view comprising a relatively wide pilotage field of view and said second field of view comprising a relatively narrow targeting field of view;
• first and second turret means located on a fuselage portion of said aircraft for respectively housing said first and second gimbal assembly;
• first and second image deroll means located in respective optical paths of said first and second lines of sight for correcting any roll disorientation of the respective images introduced by said gimbal assemblies so that said images remain oriented with the line of vision of said operator;
• first and second thermal reference means respectively located in said optical paths for continually inserting separate reference temperatures into a video data stream outputted from infrared detector means responsive to the respective images in said first and second field of view so that the dynamic response of both said images is independently adjusted and maintained in accordance with the level of respective scene information observed by said gimbal assemblies;
• an optical multiplexer assembly including image scanner means located adjacent said first and second thermal reference means for receiving roll corrected infrared images from said gimbal assemblies and generating a single multiplexed output of two consecutive infrared images, one of said first field of view and one of said second field of view,
• said optical multiplexer assembly additionally including autofocus means in each of said optical paths for maintaining focus of said images for temperature changes encountered by said aircraft during aircraft operations;
• infrared detector means responsive to said single multiplexed output of two consecutive infrared images and generating said video data stream;
• and
• signal processor means coupled to said infrared detector means and being responsive to said video data stream outputted from said infrared detector means for generating first and second video image signals, respectively, of said pilotage field of view and said targeting field of view for selective viewing by said operator.