Testing system for optical aiming systems with light emitter systems including testing system for thermal drive and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017307331-A1
Application number	US-201715435348-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2017
Priority date	Apr 20, 2016
Publication date	Oct 26, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Exemplary testing systems and methods are provided including a system configured to test for thermal drift of a unit under test (UUT) under various temperature or environmental conditions and generating an output including visual or data on the thermal drift, if any. The methods involve attaching a UUT to a mounting device within a thermally controlled chamber, collimating light received from a UUT, recording the resulting images, and comparing the results at different temperatures to determine how much thermal drift has occurred. In addition, there are testing apparatuses capable of performing the tests.

First claim

1 . A system for testing for thermal drift in an optical sight system comprising:
a support structure; a low thermal expansion material rail with mounting structures coupled with the support structure, said mounting structures configured to receive and retain an optical sight system configured to generate a light signal along an optical path; a thermal chamber with a controls system and a heating and cooling system configured to attain and maintain a predetermined temperature in the thermal chamber, wherein the thermal chamber is configured with an aperture configured to receive and pass through a portion of the low thermal expansion material rail into the thermal chamber, said thermal chamber further comprises a transparent section adapted to permit the light signal to pass through the transparent section along the optical path; a dry air expansion chamber coupled or disposed in relationship to said thermal chamber and surrounding a portion of said optical path exiting said transparent section to permit said light signal to pass through said dry air expansion chamber, wherein the transparent section is configured to maintain a temperature to prevent fogging or condensation on said transparent section; an open air reflective collimator positioned in said optical path exiting said dry air expansion chamber and redirecting said light signal to a second optical path; a camera imager system configured to receive said light signal along said second optical path and convert said light signal into a plurality of electronic or digital signals; and a test control and processing system coupled with the camera imager system adapted to receive a plurality of electronic signals or digital signals, record said electronic signals or digital signals, and then perform image processing comprising noise reduction, locating a centroid of each image capture of said light signal, determining a thermal drift of the light signal in the image captures, and generating an output report on an output system comprising a graphic or data showing a comparison of the recorded electronic or digital signals in at least some selected image captures of said light signal.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the support structure is an optical table.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal chamber is further configured to automatically change between predetermined temperatures and maintain the predetermined temperatures for predetermined durations.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the low thermal expansion material rail has a coefficient of thermal expansion of less than 5×10 −6 K −1 .

5 . A system for testing for thermal drift in an optical sight system comprising:
a support structure; a low thermal expansion material rail with mounting structures coupled with the support structure, said mounting structures configured to receive and retain an optical sight system; an external light source configured to generate a light signal and direct said light signal through an optical sight system retained by the mounting structures; a thermal chamber with a controls system and a heating and cooling system configured to attain and maintain a predetermined temperature in the thermal chamber, wherein the thermal chamber is configured with an aperture configured to receive and pass through a portion of the low thermal expansion material rail into the thermal chamber, said thermal chamber further comprises a transparent section adapted to permit the light signal to pass through the transparent section along the optical path; a dry air expansion chamber coupled or disposed in relationship to said thermal chamber and surrounding a portion of said optical path exiting said transparent section to permit said light signal to pass through said dry air expansion chamber, wherein the transparent section is configured to maintain a temperature to prevent fogging or condensation on said transparent section; an open air reflective collimator positioned in said optical path exiting said dry air expansion chamber and redirecting said light signal to a second optical path; a camera imager system configured to receive said light signal along said second optical path and convert said light signal into a plurality of electronic or digital signals; and a test control and processing system coupled with the camera imager system adapted to receive a plurality of electronic signals or digital signals, record said electronic signals or digital signals, and then perform image processing comprising noise reduction, locating a centroid of each image capture of said light signal, determining a thermal drift of the light signal in the image captures, and generating an output report on an output system comprising a graphic or data showing a comparison of the recorded electronic or digital signals in at least some selected image captures of said light signal.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the external light source is further configured to fill an exit pupil of the retained optical sight system with light, propagate the light into said optical sight system, and project a collimated shadow of subtension of a reticle within said optical sight system such that the light signal exits an objective lens of said optical sight system.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the external light source is a fiber light.

8 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the thermal chamber is further configured to automatically change between predetermined temperatures and maintain the predetermined temperatures for predetermined durations.

9 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the support structure is an optical table.

10 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the low thermal expansion material rail has a coefficient of thermal expansion of less than 5×10 −6 K −1 .

11 . A system for testing for thermal drift in an optical sight system comprising:
a support structure; a low thermal expansion material rail with mounting structures coupled with the support structure, said mounting structures configured to receive and retain an optical sight system configured to allow an optical path to exit the optical sight system; a thermal chamber with a controls system and a heating and cooling system configured to attain and maintain a predetermined temperature in the thermal chamber, wherein the thermal chamber is configured with an aperture configured to receive and pass through a portion of the low thermal expansion material rail into the thermal chamber, said thermal chamber further comprises a transparent section adapted to permit the light signal to pass through the transparent section along the optical path; a dry air expansion chamber coupled or disposed in relationship to said thermal chamber and surrounding a portion of said optical path exiting said transparent section to permit said light signal to pass through said dry air expansion chamber, wherein the transparent section is configured to maintain a temperature to prevent fogging or condensation on said transparent section; an open air reflective collimator positioned in said optical path exiting said dry air expansion chamber and redirecting said light signal to a second optical path; a camera imager system configured to receive said light signal along said second optical path and convert said light signal into a plurality of electronic or digital signals; and a test control and processing system coupled with the camera imager system adapted to receive a plurality of electronic signals or digital signals, record said electronic signals or digital signals, and then perform image processing comprising noise reduction, locating a centroid of each image capture of said light signal, determining a thermal drift of the light signal in t

Assignees

• Us Navy

Inventors

• Thurner Matthew
• Clarke Brandon
• Volpone Ronald A
• Curry David Scot

Classifications

• G01M99/002

  Thermal testing (flaw detection G01N25/72) · CPC title

• F41G1/54 Primary

  Devices for testing or checking {; Tools for adjustment of sights} · CPC title

• G02B27/32

  Fiducial marks and measuring scales within the optical system · CPC title

• G01M11/00

  Testing of optical apparatus; Testing structures by optical methods not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G02B17/06

  using mirrors only {, i.e. having only one curved mirror (used in non-imaging applications G02B19/00)} · CPC title