Dual-pupil dual-band WFOV re-imaging optical systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9810888-B2
Application number	US-201514838745-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2015
Priority date	Aug 28, 2015
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

Dual-pupil, dual spectral band wide field-of-view re-imaged refractive optical imaging systems. In one example an optical imaging system includes a dual-band front objective lens group configured to receive electromagnetic radiation over the field-of-view of the optical imaging system, to form a first pupil, and to direct the electromagnetic radiation through the first pupil, the electromagnetic radiation including first and second non-overlapping spectral bands, and the field-of-view spanning at least 45°×45°, and a re-imaging refractive optical sub-system configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation via the first pupil, to form at least one intermediate image plane, and to focus the electromagnetic radiation via at least one second pupil onto at least one final image plane to form a first image from the first spectral band and a second image from the second spectral band. A beam deflector can be positioned proximate the first pupil to expand the field of view.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual-pupil, dual spectral band, wide field-of-view re-imaged refractive optical imaging system comprising:
a dual-band front objective lens group configured to receive electromagnetic radiation over the field-of-view of the optical imaging system, to form a first pupil of the optical imaging system, and to direct the electromagnetic radiation through the first pupil, the electromagnetic radiation including first and second non-overlapping spectral bands, the field-of-view spanning at least 45°×45°;
a second dual-band front objective lens group having a second field-of-view spanning at least 45°×45°;
a beam deflector disposed proximate the first pupil and configured to selectively deflect a line-of-sight of the optical imaging system to the second dual-band front objective lens set; and
a re-imaging refractive optical sub-system configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation via the first pupil, to form at least one intermediate image plane, and to focus the electromagnetic radiation via at least one second pupil onto at least one final image plane to form a first image from the first spectral band and a second image from the second spectral band.

2. The optical imaging system of claim 1 further comprising a beamsplitter positioned between the first pupil and the re-imaging refractive optical sub-system and configured to split the electromagnetic radiation into the first spectral band and the second spectral band, wherein the first spectral band includes a mid-wave infrared (MWIR) spectral band and the second spectral band includes a short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral band, and wherein the re-imaging refractive optical sub-system includes an MWIR sub-system configured to receive MWIR spectral band via the first pupil, to form an MWIR intermediate image plane, and to focus the MWIR spectral band via an MWIR second pupil onto an MWIR final image plane to form the first image, and an SWIR sub-system configured to receive the SWIR spectral band via the first pupil, to form an SWIR intermediate image plane, and to focus the SWIR spectral band via an SWIR second pupil onto an SWIR final image plane to form the second image.

3. The optical imaging system of claim 2 wherein the MWIR sub-system includes a first pair of lenses and a second pair of lenses, the MWIR intermediate image plane being positioned between first and second lenses of the first pair of lenses, and the second pair of lenses being positioned between the first pair of lenses and the MWIR second pupil.

4. The optical imaging system of claim 3 wherein the first and second lenses of the first pair of lenses are made of silicon, and wherein a first lens of the second pair of lenses is made of Germanium and a second lens of the second pair of lenses is made of silicon.

5. The optical imaging system of claim 4 wherein the MWIR sub-system further includes a cooling chamber having a chamber window positioned proximate the MWIR second pupil, the chamber window being transparent to the MWIR spectral band, and the MWIR final image plane being located within cooling chamber.

6. The optical imaging system of claim 2 wherein the SWIR sub-system includes a first lens group and a second lens group, the first lens group including a first lens and a second lens, the SWIR intermediate image plane being positioned between the first lens and the second lens, and the second lens group being positioned between the second lens of the first lens group and the SWIR second pupil.

7. The optical imaging system of claim 6 wherein first lens is made of Zinc Sulfide and the second lens is made of Zinc Selenide, and wherein the second lens group includes a third lens made of chalcogenide glass, a fourth lens made of Barium Fluoride, and a fifth composite lens, the fifth composite lens including a first lens element made of glass and a second lens element made of Barium Fluoride.

8. The optical imaging system of claim 1 further comprising a controller coupled to the beam deflector and configured to actuate the beam deflector to alternately switch the line-of-sight between the dual-band front objective lens set and the second dual-band front objective lens set.

9. A dual-pupil, dual spectral band, wide field-of-view re-imaged refractive optical imaging system comprising:
a dual-band front objective lens group configured to receive electromagnetic radiation over the field-of-view of the optical imaging system, to form a first pupil of the optical imaging system, and to direct the electromagnetic radiation through the first pupil, the electromagnetic radiation including first and second non-overlapping spectral bands, the field-of-view spanning at least 45°×45°; and
a re-imaging refractive optical sub-system configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation via the first pupil, to form a single intermediate image plane, and to focus the electromagnetic radiation via a single second pupil onto at least one final image plane to form a first image from the first spectral band and a second image from the second spectral band,
wherein the re-imaging refractive optical sub-system includes:
a first dual-band lens group configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation via the first pupil and to form the intermediate image plane, the first dual-band lens group including a first lens and a second lens, the first pupil being located between the dual-band front objective lens group and the first lens, and the intermediate image plane being positioned between the first and second lenses; and
a second dual-band lens group configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation from the second lens of the first dual-band lens group and to focus the electromagnetic radiation onto the at least one final image plane via the second pupil, the second pupil being located between the second dual-band lens group and the at least one final image plane.

10. The optical imaging system of claim 9 wherein the first spectral band includes a mid-wave infrared (MWIR) spectral band and the second spectral band includes a short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral band.

11. The optical imaging system of claim 10 further comprising a cooling chamber having a chamber window positioned between the second dual-band lens group and the second pupil, the at least one image plane being located within the cooling chamber.

12. The optical imaging system of claim 11 further comprising a filter having an adjustable thickness and positioned between the second dual-band lens group and the second pupil.

13. The optical imaging system of claim 12 wherein the at least one final image plane includes a first image plane positioned a first distance from the second pupil and a second image plane positioned a second distance from the second pupil, the first and second distances being different, and further comprising a controller configured to selectively adjust the adjustable thickness of the filter to a first thickness to focus the MWIR spectral band onto the first image plane and to a second thickness to focus the SWIR spectral band onto the second image plane.

14. The optical imaging system of claim 10 wherein the MWIR spectral band includes a first wavelength range of approximately 3.4 μm-5.0 μm, and the SWIR spectral band includes a second wavelength range of approximately 1.0 μm-2.0 μm.

15. The optical imaging system of claim 14 wherein the first lens of the first dual-band lens group is made of Zinc Sulfide and the second lens of the first dual-band lens group is made of Zinc Selenide.

16. The optical imaging system of claim 15 wherein the dual-band front objective lens group includes a set o

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Spencer Susan B
• Mcgee Iii John F

Classifications

• G02B26/08

  for controlling the direction of light (in light guides G02B6/35) · 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

• G02B13/146 Primary

  with corrections for use in multiple wavelength bands, such as infrared and visible light, e.g. FLIR systems · CPC title

• G02B15/06

  by changing the front part · CPC title

• G02B7/028

  with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation · CPC title