Optical detector and system therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9891099-B2
Application number	US-201414445221-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2014
Priority date	Jul 30, 2013
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

There is provided in a first form, a system including a detector and a reflector disposed about and proximal to the detector, at least of portion of the reflector being disposed in front of the detector. The reflector is configured to reflect at least a portion of the radiation directed to the system at an angle greater than a first predetermined value onto the detector, and the system is configured so that at least a portion of the radiation directed to the system at an angle less than the first predetermined value directly impinges on the detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a detector;
a reflector disposed about and proximal to the detector, at least of portion of the reflector being disposed in front of the detector; and
wherein the reflector is configured to reflect at least a portion of the radiation directed to the system at an angle greater than a first predetermined value onto the detector, and wherein the system is configured so that at least a portion of the radiation directed to the system at an angle less than the first predetermined value directly impinges on the detector, wherein substantially no radiation directed to the system at an angle greater than a second predetermined angle impinges on the detector and wherein a first portion of the radiation directed to the system at an angle between the first and second predetermined angles impinges directly on the detector and a second portion of the radiation directed to the system at an angle between the first and second predetermined angles impinges on the detector by reflection from the reflector.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the second predetermined angle comprises the field of regard (FOR) of the system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the detector comprises a multi-segment detector array.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a lens system disposed in front of the detector and the reflector, the lens system configured to refract radiation directed to the system at an angle less than the first predetermined angle onto the detector.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first predetermined angle is determined from a size of the detector and a distance between the detector and a lens system configured to refract light impinging on the system onto the detector.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the second predetermined angle is determined from a size of the reflector and a distance between the detector and a lens system configured to refract light impinging on the system onto the detector.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the lens system is configured to refract the portion of the radiation directed to the system at an angle greater than the first predetermined angle onto the reflector.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the lens system comprises a converging lens.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein the lens system is configured to image on the detector an object disposed at an angle from an axis of the system less than the first predetermined angle.

Assignees

• Elbit Systems America Llc

Inventors

• Harder James Anton
• Sprague Michaelene Williams

Classifications

• G01J1/0422

  using light concentrators, collectors or condensers · CPC title

• G01J1/0411 Primary

  using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction · CPC title

• F41G7/2293

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• F41G7/226

  Semi-active homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and involving auxiliary illuminating means, e.g. using auxiliary guiding missiles · CPC title

• G01J1/0266

  Field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a photometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of the measurement area; Position tracking; Photodetection involving different fields of view for a single detector · CPC title