Multi-purpose periscope with display and overlay capabilities
AssigneeOasis Advanced Engineering, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey Wayne Minor, Henry Clarence Davies, Edward Charles Schwartz, Michael James Klingensmith, Thomas Patrick Ryan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A collimated periscope that is switchable between a normal optical view of the outside, a display view, and an overlay view in which the outside view and display view are combined. The switching element is an electronically switchable mirror with primarily reflective, primarily transparent, and intermediate states, depending on the application of electrical potentials.
Claims32
A collimated periscope, said periscope comprising:
- a housing;
- an upper prism arranged within said housing;
- a lower prism arranged adjacent to said upper prism;
- a display prism arranged adjacent to said lower prism;
- a collimating optical assembly arranged adjacent to said display prism;
- a flat panel display arranged adjacent to said collimating optical assembly;
- an electronically switchable mirror arranged on a surface of said lower prism;
- and
- said collimating optical assembly comprises:
- a field lens arranged adjacent to said flat panel display;
- a lower beam splitter prism arranged adjacent to said field lens;
- a beam splitter arranged adjacent to said lower beam splitter;
- an upper beam splitter prism arranged adjacent to said beam splitter;
- a lens arranged adjacent to said upper beam splitter prism;
- a concave first surface mirror arranged adjacent to said lens;
- and
- a corrector prism arranged adjacent to said upper beam splitter prism and said display prism.
A collimated periscope, said periscope comprising:
- a housing;
- an upper prism arranged within said housing;
- a lower prism arranged adjacent to said upper prism;
- a display prism arranged adjacent to said lower prism;
- a collimating optical assembly arranged adjacent to said display prism;
- a flat panel display arranged adjacent to said collimating optical assembly;
- an electronically switchable mirror arranged on a surface of said lower prism;
- and
- a second flat panel display and a second collimating optical assembly each arranged within said housing.
A collimated periscope, said periscope comprising:
- a housing;
- an upper prism arranged within said housing;
- a lower prism arranged adjacent to said upper prism;
- a display prism arranged adjacent to said lower prism;
- a collimating optical assembly arranged adjacent to said display prism;
- a flat panel display arranged adjacent to said collimating optical assembly;
- an electronically switchable mirror arranged on a surface of said lower prism;
- and
- said collimating optical assembly comprises:
- a field lens arranged adjacent to said flat panel display;
- a lens arranged adjacent to said field lens;
- and
- a concave mirror arranged adjacent to said display prism.
A collimated periscope, said periscope comprising:
- a housing;
- an upper prism arranged within said housing;
- a lower prism arranged adjacent to said upper prism;
- a display prism arranged adjacent to said lower prism;
- a collimating optical assembly arranged adjacent to said display prism;
- a flat panel display arranged adjacent to said collimating optical assembly;
- an electronically switchable mirror arranged on a surface of said lower prism;
- and
- said collimating optical assembly comprising:
- a field lens arranged adjacent to said display prism;
- and
- a powered color selective reflector arranged within said housing.
A method of collimating a display image of a periscope, said method comprising the steps of:
- emitting linearly polarized or non-polarized light from a flat panel display arranged within a housing of the periscope:
- flattening a field of an image of said light with a field lens;
- transmitting said light with a beam splitter;
- collimating said light with a lens and concave mirror;
- reflecting said light with said beam splitter;
- correcting said image for distortions with a corrector device;
- and
- displaying said collimated image to a user of the periscope through an exit face.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.