Television rate optical scanner
US4714960A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 3, 1985 |
| Grant date | Dec 22, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 3, 2005 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N3/08
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An optical scanner, directly compatible with television imaging or displaying, comprises a unique polygon azimuth mirror scanner which obviates the prior art requirement for atmospheric evacuation and a unique optical system between the azimuth scanner and detector array which permits selected optical modification of detector geometry. The azimuth scanner is designed to be of limited dimensions and is housed in a vented housing within minimal clearance to produce a self-pumping effect which is sufficient to overcome the reduced atmospheric drag. The scanner/detector optical system provides a detector image plane within an optical relay, where in a disclosed embodiment one or two flat refractor plates, oriented at different angles relative to the optical axis, effectively convert a standard linear array into a two-offset array. The resultant system comprises an optical scanner especially suited to using standardized military components such as "common module" pushbroom detector arrays, but which provides the significant cost and performance advantages of serially scanning systems.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.