Fiber optic directional sensor with wide-field optical field expanding element and method
US9804251B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 25, 2015 |
| Grant date | Oct 31, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 11, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B27/0081
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A fiber optic directional sensor has a substantially hemispherical dome surface and a substantially flat surface. The sensor is formed from a plurality of optical fibers fused to one another, and each optical fiber extends from the dome surface to the flat surface. One end of each optical fiber is substantially perpendicular to the sensor's dome surface, and the opposite end of the fiber is substantially perpendicular to the sensor's flat surface such that an end face of the fiber is substantially tangent to the dome surface, and another end face of the fiber is substantially tangent to the flat surface. The sensor further includes an optical element which expands the field of view of the sensor and chromatically controls the incoming light. Using the sensor, light from projectiles, such as missiles, bullets, and other weaponry, can be detected, and the locations of the projectiles can be determined.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.