Multi-Target Optical Designator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016161218-A1
Application number	US-201414562957-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 8, 2014
Priority date	Dec 8, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device and method for selectively illuminating and designating multiple targets in the air or on the ground simultaneously. The device comprises a light source, a switching array and a ball lens. Light from the light source is routed through the switching array, which can addressably output multiple light beams simultaneously. The light beams from the switching array illuminate the backside of a low F-number ball lens. The ball lens creates highly collimated output beams independently (and simultaneously) from any of the output source points of the switching array. These output beams can be used to simultaneously designate multiple targets. When the target illuminating device includes an optional detector array, light scattered from targets can be refracted by the balls lens to impinge on the detector array. Signals from the detector array representing the received light beams can be used for target imaging.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device for optically designating multiple targets simultaneously comprising:
a. a light source; b. a switching array, the array configured to output at least a first addressable light beam and a second addressable light beam, the beams generated from light received from the light source; and c. a ball lens configured to receive the first light beam and output the first light beam to a first direction when the first beam is illuminated and to receive the second light beam and output the second beam to a second direction when the second input beam is illuminated, wherein the first direction and the second direction differ.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , where the ball lens is a spherical lens.

3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is an array of lasers.

4 . The device according to claim 3 , wherein the laser array comprises vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers.

5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is an array of light emitting diodes.

6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is modulated.

7 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching array is one of a micro-optic, micro-opto-electro-mechanical system, microelectromechanical system, piezoelectric, electro-optic, and liquid crystal array.

8 . The device according to claim 1 , further including:
d. a detector array adapted to generate a signal representative of light beams received by the balls lens and refracted to impinge on the detector array.

9 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein optical fibers are used to transmit light from the light source to the ball lens and the light fibers form the switching array.

10 . A method for optically designating multiple targets simultaneously comprising:
a. providing a designation device including:
i. a light source,
ii. a switching array, the array configured to output at least a first addressable light beam and a second addressable light beam, the beams generated from light received from the light source, and
iii. a ball lens configured to receive the first light beam and output the first light beam to a first direction when the first beam is illuminated and to receive the second light beam and output the second beam to a second direction when the second input beam is illuminated; and
b. designating a first target with the first beam and designating a second target with the second beam, simultaneously.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , where the ball lens is a spherical lens.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the light source is an array of lasers.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the laser array comprises vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers.

14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the light source is an array of light emitting diodes.

15 . A method for generating an image of an object on a surface:
a. providing an illumination device including:
i. a light source,
ii. a switching array, the array configured to output at least a first addressable light beam and a second addressable light beam, the beams generated from light received from the light source, and
iii. a ball lens configured to receive the first light beam and output the first light beam to a first direction when the first beam is illuminated and to receive the second light beam and output the second beam to a second direction when the second input beam is illuminated; and
b. illuminating an area of the surface using the illumination device; c. capturing an array of pixels from light scattered by the illuminated surface; and d. generating the image of the object by operating on the pixel array.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein operating on the pixel array includes performing a convolution on the pixel array.

Assignees

• Draper Lab Charles S

Inventors

• Laine Juha-Pekka
• Blasche Gregory
• Dawson Robin
• Mcclain Sean
• Smith Stephen P
• Larsen Robert
• Arant Charles
• Ostrowski William

Classifications

• F41G3/145 Primary

  using a target illuminator · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S17/66

  Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G01S7/4815

  using multiple transmitters · CPC title