Methods and apparatus for deceiving optical augmentation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9535245-B1
Application number	US-201213714812-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 14, 2012
Priority date	Dec 14, 2012
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

In one example a method of deceiving an optical augmentation device includes receiving an interrogation beam at an optical system from the optical augmentation device, encoding the interrogation beam with a false signature mis-identifying the optical system, and retro-reflecting the encoded interrogation beam to the optical augmentation device, without retro-reflecting the original interrogation beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical system comprising:
a structured relay optic configured to receive electromagnetic radiation representing a source image volume, the electromagnetic radiation including an interrogation beam from an interrogating device, the structured relay optic further configured to slice the source image volume into a plurality of image slices and to reimage the plurality of image slices onto a tilted image plane that is tilted relative to an optical axis of the optical system;
foreoptics configured to direct the electromagnetic radiation to the structured relay optic;
an imaging detector aligned with the tilted image plane and configured to reconstruct a an image from the plurality of image slices, and to reflect the interrogation beam off-axis with respect to the optical axis, the imaging detector having a first signature;
a reflector configured to receive and reflect a portion of the interrogation beam to provide a retro-reflection, the reflector further configured to encode the retro-reflection with a second signature different from the first signature; and
a beamsplitter positioned in an optical path between the foreoptics and the structured relay optic, the beamsplitter configured to direct the portion of the interrogation beam to the reflector, and to return the retro-reflection to the interrogating device.

2. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the structured relay optic is configured to spatially position the plurality of image slices such that a depth of focus of each image slice overlaps the tilted image plane.

3. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging detector is a focal plane array.

4. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the reflector is a second imaging detector.

5. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the reflector includes a reflective coating configured to produce the second signature.

6. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller coupled to the reflector.

7. The optical system of claim 6 , wherein the reflector includes a plurality of reflectors, each configured to produce a different second signature; and wherein the controller is configured to select one of the plurality of reflectors to provide the retro-reflection.

8. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising a threat detection sensor coupled to the controller and configured to receive and analyze the interrogation beam to determine information about the interrogating device, wherein the controller is configured to receive the information from the threat detection sensor and to control the reflector to adjust the second signature based on the information.

9. An optical system comprising:
a structured relay optic configured to receive electromagnetic radiation representing a source image volume, the electromagnetic radiation including an interrogation beam from an interrogating device, the structured relay optic further configured to slice the source image volume into a plurality of image slices and to reimage the plurality of image slices onto a tilted image plane that is tilted relative to an optical axis of the optical system;
an imaging detector aligned with the tilted image plane and configured to reconstruct a an image from the plurality of image slices, and to reflect the interrogation beam off-axis with respect to the optical axis, the imaging detector having a first signature;
a reflector configured to receive and reflect a portion of the interrogation beam to provide a retro-reflection, the reflector further configured to encode the retro-reflection with a second signature different from the first signature;
a beamsplitter configured to direct the portion of the interrogation beam to the reflector, and to return the retro-reflection to the interrogating device;
a controller coupled to the reflector; and
a threat detection sensor coupled to the controller and configured to receive and analyze the interrogation beam to determine information about the interrogating device;
wherein the controller is configured to receive the information from the threat detection sensor and to control the reflector to adjust the second signature based on the information.

10. The optical system of claim 9 , wherein the structured relay optic is configured to spatially position the plurality of image slices such that a depth of focus of each image slice overlaps the tilted image plane.

11. The optical system of claim 9 , wherein the imaging detector is a focal plane array.

12. The optical system of claim 9 , wherein the reflector is a second imaging detector.

13. The optical system of claim 9 , wherein the reflector includes a reflective coating that produces the second signature.

14. The optical system of claim 9 , wherein the reflector includes a plurality of reflectors, each configured to produce a different second signature; and wherein the controller is configured to select one of the plurality of reflectors to provide the retro-reflection.

15. A method of deceiving an optical augmentation device comprising:
receiving an interrogation beam at a primary imaging detector of an optical system from the optical augmentation device, the primary imaging detector having a first signature and being aligned with a tilted image plane that is tilted with respect to an optical axis of the optical system;
reflecting the interrogation beam from the primary imaging detector off-axis with respect to the optical axis to eliminate any retro-reflection from the primary imaging detector;
using a beamsplitter, directing a portion of the interrogation beam toward a reflector;
receiving the portion of the interrogation beam at a threat detection sensor;
analyzing the portion of the interrogation beam with the threat detection sensor to determine information about the optical augmentation device;
at the reflector, encoding the portion of the interrogation beam with a false signature based on the information to provide an encoded interrogation beam, the false signature mis-identifying the optical system and being different from the first signature;
retro-reflecting the encoded interrogation beam with the beamsplitter to the optical augmentation device; imaging a scene with the primary imaging detector; wherein imaging the scene includes: segmenting a source image volume of the scene into a plurality of image slices, each image slice having an image volume; individually reimaging the plurality of image slices onto the tilted image plane tilted with respect to the optical axis of the optical system such that the image volume of each image slice overlaps the tilted image plane; and reconstructing a substantially in-focus image at the primary imaging detector from the plurality of image slices.

16. A method of deceiving an optical augmentation device comprising:
receiving an interrogation beam at a primary imaging detector of an optical system from the optical augmentation device, the primary imaging detector having a first signature;
reflecting the interrogation beam from the primary imaging detector off-axis with respect to an optical axis of the optical system to eliminate any retro-reflection from the primary imaging detector;
receiving and analyzing the interrogation beam with a threat detection sensor to determine information about the optical augmentation device;
generating a return signal having a second signature based on the information by encoding a portion of the interrogation beam with the second signature, the second signature being different from the first signature;
retro-reflecting the return signal to the optical augmentation device; imaging a scene with th

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Kowalevicz Andrew

Classifications

• G02B27/108

  for sampling a portion of a beam or combining a small beam in a larger one, e.g. wherein the area ratio or power ratio of the divided beams significantly differs from unity, without spectral selectivity · CPC title

• G01J2001/444

  Compensating; Calibrating, e.g. dark current, temperature drift, noise reduction or baseline correction; Adjusting · CPC title

• G02B26/0841 Primary

  the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means · CPC title

• G02B27/1066

  for enhancing image performance, like resolution, pixel numbers, dual magnifications or dynamic range, by tiling, slicing or overlapping fields of view · CPC title

• G01J1/44

  Electric circuits {(for command of an exposure part G03B7/02)} · CPC title