Optical system with asymmetric optical corrector
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsDavid Knapp, Scott W. Sparrold
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical system includes a curved window, an asymmetric, scoop-shaped optical corrector adjacent to a curved inner surface of the window, an optical train positioned such that the optical corrector lies between the curved window and the optical train, a movable optical train support upon which the optical train is mounted, and a sensor disposed to receive an optical ray passing sequentially through the window, the optical corrector, and the optical train. The optical corrector has an inner surface and an outer surface, at least one of which has a shape defined by an asymmetric polynomial.
Claims16
An optical system, comprising:
- a curved window;
- an optical train including at least one optical element operable to alter an optical ray incident thereon;
- a movable optical train support upon which the optical train is mounted, the optical train support being operable to point the optical train along a plurality of directions, the plurality of directions including a z axis lying perpendicular to a reference plane having orthogonal x and y axes lying therein;
- an optical corrector disposed in an optical path between the window and the at least one optical element of the optical train, the optical corrector comprising a transparent body having an optical corrector shape responsive to a shape of the window and which is bilaterally symmetric about the z axis in a yz cross section and not bilaterally symmetric about the z axis in an xz cross section;
- a sensor disposed to receive the optical ray passing sequentially through the window, the optical corrector, and the optical train.
An optical system, comprising:
- a curved window;
- an optical train including at least one optical element operable to alter an optical ray incident thereon;
- a movable optical train support upon which the optical train is mounted;
- a transparent optical corrector disposed in an optical path between the window and the at least one optical element of the optical train and having an optical corrector shape responsive to a shape of the window, wherein the optical corrector has an inner surface and an outer surface, at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the optical corrector having a shape defined by z = cr 2 1 + 1 - ( 1 + k ) c 2 r 2 + ∑ C j x m y n
- wherein z is a coordinate oriented perpendicular to a reference plane, c is a constant vertex curvature, k is a conic constant, r2=x2+y2, x and y are coordinates lying in the reference plane, Cj are constants, m and n are constants, and j=[(m+n)2+m+3n]/2+1;
- and
- a sensor disposed to receive the optical ray passing sequentially through the window, the optical corrector, and the optical train.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.