US 7,605,977 B2Granted

Optical telescope

OwnerChe Ram Souza Voigt, Allan Alfred Voigt +3inventors

InventorsChe Ram Souza Voigt, Allan Alfred Voigt, John Mark Speicher, Chet Alister Johnston, Eric Herlen Ford

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Abstract

An apparatus for enhanced viewing of objects in two separate simultaneous frequency bands of light that is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention includes a primary mirror and a moveable secondary mirror that is disposed above the primary mirror to provide a long focal length. A beam splitter splits the optical path into two paths, one for infrared and another path for visible. Various optical elements and devices are described along each path. The secondary mirror is displaced away from its concentric position over the primary mirror to provide shorter focal lengths in IR and visible. Focal Plane Arrays (FPA's) are disposed where desired along both optical paths for real-time viewing and data acquisition. The preferred FPA in visible is a CCD. The preferred FPA in IR is disposed in a Dewar.

Claims60

Dependent claims

An optical telescope, comprising:

(a) a base assembly that is adapted to support a primary mirror, said primary mirror including a predetermined size and shape and an outer perimeter and a center aperture;
(b) support means attached to said base assembly, said support means adapted to support a turret a predetermined distance away from said primary mirror, said turret adapted to pivot from a first position wherein a secondary mirror that is attached to said turret is disposed over said primary mirror and wherein said primary mirror and said secondary mirror are included in a primary optical path when said turret is in said first position, into a second position and wherein said secondary mirror is not in said primary optical path when said turret is in said second position, and wherein when said turret is in said first position said primary optical path is provided that includes said primary mirror and said secondary mirror and wherein when said turret is in said second position a second primary optical path is provided that does not include said primary mirror or said secondary mirror;
and
(c) a beam splitter disposed over at least a portion of said center aperture, and wherein when said turret is in said first position, said secondary mirror is adapted to receive light energy reflected off said primary mirror and redirect at least a portion of said light energy to said beam splitter along said primary optical path and wherein at least one frequency of light passes through said beam splitter and travels along a first secondary optical path and wherein a different frequency of light is reflected off said beam splitter and travels along a second secondary optical path that is different than said first secondary optical path.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/948,432Filed 22 Sep 2004 · continuation in part
Priority: 21 Jan 2004
Published: US 2006/0061856 A123 Mar 2006
Granted: 20 Oct 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

G02B 23/04
Involving prisms or mirrors: for the purpose of beam splitting or combining, e.g. fitted with eyepieces for more than one observer
G02B
Optical elements, systems or apparatus

Family

Application10/763,297Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 21 Jan 2004
US 2006/0061856 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Mar 2006
US 7,023,615 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Apr 2006
US 2009/0225406 A9Pre-grant publication · published 10 Sep 2009
US 7,605,977 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.