Optical position encoder
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsEric C. Fest, Page E. King, Justan Forsyth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Optical position encoding mechanisms and methods for use in reimaged optical imaging systems. In one example, a reimaged optical imaging system includes an imaging detector, an optical component, and at least one light source coupled to the optical component and configured to be reimaged onto the imaging detector, wherein a position of an image of the at least one light source at the imaging detector encodes a position of the optical component relative to the imaging detector.
Claims16
A reimaged thermal optical imaging system comprising:
- a thermal imaging detector;
- an optical component;
- and
- at least one reflector positioned on the optical component, the at least one reflector being configured to reimage a reflection of the thermal imaging detector back onto the thermal imaging detector, wherein a position of the reimaged reflection on the thermal imaging detector encodes a position of the optical component relative to the thermal imaging detector.
A thermal reimaged optical imaging system comprising:
- a cold chamber;
- a thermal imaging detector disposed within the cold chamber;
- a first optical sub-system configured to receive and focus infrared electromagnetic radiation from a scene onto an intermediate image plane;
- a second optical sub-system configured to reimage the infrared electromagnetic radiation from the intermediate image plane onto the thermal imaging detector;
- a movable optical component configured to be movable into and out of an optical path of the thermal imaging detector, the movable optical component being located at the intermediate image plane when in the optical path;
- and
- a reflector located on the movable optical component and configured to reimage the thermal imaging detector onto itself to thereby encode a position of the optical component relative to the thermal imaging detector.
A method of determining a position of an optical component in a reimaged optical imaging system, the method comprising:
- receiving and focusing electromagnetic radiation from a scene onto an intermediate image plane;
- reimaging the electromagnetic radiation from the intermediate image plane onto an imaging detector configured to produce an image of the scene from the electromagnetic radiation;
- moving an optical component into an optical path of the imaging detector and proximate the intermediate image plane, the optical component having a light source attached thereto;
- and
- reimaging the light source onto the imaging detector, wherein a position of an image of the light source at the imaging detector encodes the position of the optical component relative to the imaging detector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.