公开(公告)号：US12259277B2

公开(公告)日：2025-03-25

申请号：US17479927

申请日：2021-09-20

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Eric Rogala ,  Gerald P. Uyeno

IPC: G01J4/04 ,  G02B26/08 ,  G02B27/28

Abstract: An image polarimeter includes a MEMS MMA divided into two or more segments in which the mirrors in each segment are provided with a polarizer of a given polarization. The mirrors in each segment are tipped and tilted to steer polarized light onto different portions of an optical detector. In certain configurations the mirrors may also be pistoned to reduce aberrations. Each frame that is read out from the detector includes two or more distinct component polarized images having different polarizations P0, P2, . . . of the same scene to fully characterize the polarization properties of the scene. Since the mirrors only tip/tilt/piston in the dead period between frames, no components are moving during image acquisition and co-registration of the component polarized images is simple. The number of segments and the different polarizations may be selected to implement Jones calculus, Mueller calculus and Stokes parameters or other polarimetry techniques.

公开(公告)号：US20220121035A1

公开(公告)日：2022-04-21

申请号：US17071729

申请日：2020-10-15

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Eric Rogala ,  Garret A. Odom ,  Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Benn H. Gleason

IPC: G02B27/64 ,  G01S3/786 ,  G01S7/481

Abstract: Optical sensors and particularly gimbaled optical sensors transmit an active signal at a given wavelength(s) and receive passive signals over a range of wavelengths and the active signal in a common aperture. The sensor includes a Tx/Rx Aperture Sharing Element (ASE) configured with a center region that couples the active signal to the telescope for transmission and an annular region that couples the passive emissions and the returned active signal to the detector. A filter wheel may be positioned behind the ASE to present separate passive and active images to the detector. These optical sensors may, for example, be used with guided munitions or autonomous vehicles.

公开(公告)号：US12270946B2

公开(公告)日：2025-04-08

申请号：US17474504

申请日：2021-09-14

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Eric Rogala ,  Mark K. Lange ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Vanessa Reyna ,  Benn H. Gleason ,  Craig O. Shott ,  Garret A. Odom ,  Jon E. Leigh

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  F41G7/22 ,  G01S17/66

Abstract: The design of an existing air-to-air missile seeker is adapted to new missions that require both active laser illumination and detection (passive or active) capabilities. The gimbal is used to point the laser beam to a desired location in a transmit FOR. This approach minimizes the size, weight and power of the sensor because only a small portion of the transmit FOR is illuminated at any instant. This minimizes the laser output required, which reduces the power to operate the laser and the power to maintain the laser at operating temperature. In existing seekers, the gimbal points the detector in the desired direction to expand its FOR. To address the limitations of coupling the laser beam into the gimbaled optical system, the gimbal cannot perform the steering function for the detector. Instead, a staring detector receives light through an off-gimbal aperture within a fixed receive FOR that overlaps the transmit FOR.

公开(公告)号：US12061334B2

公开(公告)日：2024-08-13

申请号：US17231898

申请日：2021-04-15

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： David J. Knapp ,  Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Benn H. Gleason ,  Eric Rogala ,  Mark K. Lange ,  Garret A. Odom ,  Craig O. Shott ,  Zachary D. Barker

IPC: G02B26/10 ,  B81B3/00 ,  G02B26/08

CPC classification number: G02B26/105 ,  B81B3/0083 ,  G02B26/0833 ,  B81B2201/042 ,  B81B2203/058 ,  B81B2207/053

Abstract: An optical scanning system includes one or more Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) Micro-Mirror Arrays (MMAs) used to scan a field-of-view (FOV) over a field-of-regard (FOR). The MEMS MMA is configured such that optical radiation from each point in the FOV does not land on or originate from out-of-phase mirror segments and a diffraction limited resolution of the optical system is limited by the size of the entrance pupil and not by the size of individual mirrors.

公开(公告)号：US11644542B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-09

申请号：US17479896

申请日：2021-09-20

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Craig O. Shott ,  Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Benn H. Gleason ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Mark K. Lange ,  Eric Rogala ,  Vanessa Reyna ,  Garret A. Odom ,  Jon E. Leigh

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  F41G7/22 ,  G01S17/66

CPC classification number: G01S7/4817 ,  F41G7/2246 ,  G01S17/66

Abstract: An optical sensor uses a MEMS MMA to scan a narrow laser beam over a transmit FOR to provide active illumination and to correct the beam profile (e.g., collimate the beam, reduce chromatic aberrations, correct the beam profile or wavefront). A staring detector senses light within a receive FOR that at least partially overlaps the transmit FOR. By completely eliminating the dual-axis gimbal, this sensor architecture greatly reduces the volume and weight of the optical sensor while avoiding the deficiencies of known systems associated with either fiber or free-space coupling of the laser beam into an existing receiver.

公开(公告)号：US20240402303A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-05

申请号：US17474504

申请日：2021-09-14

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Eric Rogala ,  Mark K. Lange ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Vanessa Reyna ,  Benn H. Gleason ,  Craig O. Shott ,  Garret A. Odom ,  Jon E. Leigh

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  F41G7/22 ,  G01S17/66

Abstract: The design of an existing air-to-air missile seeker is adapted to new missions that require both active laser illumination and detection (passive or active) capabilities. The gimbal is used to point the laser beam to a desired location in a transmit FOR. This approach minimizes the size, weight and power of the sensor because only a small portion of the transmit FOR is illuminated at any instant. This minimizes the laser output required, which reduces the power to operate the laser and the power to maintain the laser at operating temperature. In existing seekers, the gimbal points the detector in the desired direction to expand its FOR. To address the limitations of coupling the laser beam into the gimbaled optical system, the gimbal cannot perform the steering function for the detector. Instead, a staring detector receives light through an off-gimbal aperture within a fixed receive FOR that overlaps the transmit FOR.

公开(公告)号：US12000676B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-04

申请号：US17071729

申请日：2020-10-15

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Eric Rogala ,  Garret A. Odom ,  Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Benn H. Gleason

IPC: F41G7/22 ,  B60K31/00 ,  F41G7/00 ,  G01S3/786 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S13/931 ,  G01S17/86 ,  G02B27/64

CPC classification number: F41G7/2246 ,  B60K31/0008 ,  F41G7/008 ,  F41G7/2213 ,  F41G7/2293 ,  G01S3/786 ,  G01S7/4812 ,  G01S7/4813 ,  G01S13/931 ,  G01S17/86 ,  F41G7/2253 ,  G02B27/644

Abstract: Optical sensors and particularly gimbaled optical sensors transmit an active signal at a given wavelength(s) and receive passive signals over a range of wavelengths and the active signal in a common aperture. The sensor includes a Tx/Rx Aperture Sharing Element (ASE) configured with a center region that couples the active signal to the telescope for transmission and an annular region that couples the passive emissions and the returned active signal to the detector. A filter wheel may be positioned behind the ASE to present separate passive and active images to the detector. These optical sensors may, for example, be used with guided munitions or autonomous vehicles.

公开(公告)号：US11921284B2

公开(公告)日：2024-03-05

申请号：US17207177

申请日：2021-03-19

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Eric Rogala ,  Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller

IPC: G02B26/08 ,  G02B3/08 ,  G02B7/182 ,  G02B17/00

CPC classification number: G02B26/0841 ,  G02B3/08 ,  G02B7/182 ,  G02B17/002

Abstract: A zoom system includes a collection optic L1 and a reflective Fresnel Lens L2 having a variable focal length. The reflective Fresnel Lens L2 is implemented with a MEMS MMA in which the mirrors tip, tilt and piston form and alter the reflective Fresnel Lens to focus light at a common focal point to set the variable focal length f2, hence the magnification M. In different embodiments, the zoom system may be configured to be “focal” or “afocal”. In the focal system, both L1 and L2 are fixed such that the system affects the net convergence or divergence of the magnified beam. In an afocal system, a mechanism is used to translate L2 to maintain a separation between L1 and L2 of d=f1+f2 as f2 is varied to change the magnification M.

公开(公告)号：US20240402016A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-05

申请号：US17479927

申请日：2021-09-20

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Eric Rogala ,  Gerald P. Uyeno

IPC: G01J4/04 ,  G02B26/08 ,  G02B27/28

Abstract: An image polarimeter includes a MEMS MMA divided into two or more segments in which the mirrors in each segment are provided with a polarizer of a given polarization. The mirrors in each segment are tipped and tilted to steer polarized light onto different portions of an optical detector. In certain configurations the mirrors may also be pistoned to reduce aberrations. Each frame that is read out from the detector includes two or more distinct component polarized images having different polarizations P0, P2, . . . of the same scene to fully characterize the polarization properties of the scene. Since the mirrors only tip/tilt/piston in the dead period between frames, no components are moving during image acquisition and co-registration of the component polarized images is simple. The number of segments and the different polarizations may be selected to implement Jones calculus, Mueller calculus and Stokes parameters or other polarimetry techniques.

公开(公告)号：US12130384B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-29

申请号：US17217929

申请日：2021-03-30

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Andrew W. Dutton ,  Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Eric Rogala

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G02B26/08

CPC classification number: G01S7/4817 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G02B26/0833

Abstract: A multiple FOV optical sensor includes a primary mirror having first and second rings of differing curvature to collect light from an object within different FOV. A secondary mirror includes a MEMS MMA in which the mirrors tip and tilt in 2 DOF or add piston in 3 DOF to (I) reflect light from the first ring within the first FOV that is focused at an imaging plane coincident with an imaging detector to form a focused image of the object at the imaging detector or (II) reflect light from the second ring within the second FOV onto the imaging detector (either focused to form a focused image or defocused to form a blurred spot). The MEMS MMA may be configured to alternate between (I) and (II) or to perform both (I) and (II) at the same time with the different FOV either overlapped or spatially separated on the detector. The sensor may be configured as an all-passive sensor, a dual-mode sensor or a hybrid of the two.