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Class 356/139.08 - With source beam moving to follow or align


Subclass of Class 356 - Optics: measuring and testing
Definition: Subject matter under 139.07 wherein the unidirectional beam
No. of patents: 76
Last issue date: 09/18/2012


  2  
NumberTitleIssue Date
4714339Three and five axis laser tracking systems
A tracking system for measuring at least the spatial coordinates of a target and possibly the angular orientation of the target. A collimated beam is directed to the target and a mirror attached to the target reflects this beam back to a tracking point. P...
12/22/1987
4712915Arrangement for holding an instrument in alignment with a moving reflector
The invention relates to an arrangement for holding an instrument aligned onto a movable reflector, which may have the form of a cube corner prism. The instrument has a transmitter which transmits a slightly divergent beam of electromagnetic radiation ont...
12/15/1987
4701602Adaptable modular stabilization system
An optical sensor system (10), including a two degree of freedom gyro (32) and a beam expander (38) having a predetermined magnification level, is rigidly secured internally to a housing (20). Also mounted within the housing is a prime sensor beam expande...
10/20/1987
4665795Gun muzzle reference system
A muzzle reference system is provided for correcting errors in aiming signals produced by a fire-control system of an artillery gun having a gun muzzle pivotable about a first axis and movable about a second axis extending perpendicularly of the first axi...
05/19/1987
4650325Laser tracker designator
A laser source projects a main beam through a central hole formed in an optical wedge. A portion of the laser light is refracted through the wedge and forms an optical side lobe. By rotating the wedge the side lobe undergoes a conical scan enhancing the t...
03/17/1987
4577962Method and equipment for the control of aiming and firing at a real target
A firing weapon is associated with a laser radiation source mounted in proximity to the weapon and also with a detector which is sensitive to the laser radiation. The orientation of the radiation is adjusted independently of the aiming of the weapon in or...
03/25/1986
4576480Optical alignment system
An optical alignment system in which an aligning beam of radiation is caused to scan around the periphery of an alignment aperture. Light reflected from the edge of the alignment aperture is collected and a related electrical signal is produced. If the al...
03/18/1986
4528525Scanning laser for a scanning laser radar
In an optical radar system a coherent signal is transmitted at a variable position and the return signal, that is, the reflected portion of the coherent signal is received and coherently detected. The transmitter utilizes a scanning laser having an electr...
07/09/1985
4516853Laser radar adaptive tracking system
A laser radar system employs an acousto-optic modulator to sweep an output beam. Comparison of reflected radiation with output radiation permits adaptive control of steering angle and beam width to track a target with efficient use of power....
05/14/1985
4515471Scanning laser radar
In an optical radar system a coherent signal is transmitted at a variable position and the return signal, that is, the reflected portion of the coherent signal is received and coherently detected. The transmitter utilizes a scanning laser having an electr...
05/07/1985
4515472Agile receiver for a scanning laser radar
In an optical radar system a coherent signal is transmitted at a variable position and the return signal, that is, the reflected portion of the coherent signal is received and coherently detected. The transmitter utilizes a scanning laser having an electr...
05/07/1985
4497065Target recognition system enhanced by active signature measurements
A passive electro-optical target recognition system which utilizes additional signature measurements of an active nature to enhance the discrimination of desired targets from detected candidate targets in the field of view thereof is disclosed. Candidate ...
01/29/1985
4401886Electromagnetic beam acquisition and tracking system
An electromagnetic (e.g., laser) beam acquisition and tracking system that is particularly useful onboard high-speed aircraft (10) to acquire and track a target (12) supporting a retroreflector (13) is disclosed. The acquisition and tracking system includ...
08/30/1983
4385834Laser beam boresight system
Boresighting of an outgoing first laser beam axis to an imaging sensor reference axis is described by aligning a second laser beam axis, which is in fixed relation to the first laser beam axis, to an electromagnetic source reference beam axis and detectin...
05/31/1983
4384198Time-shared aperture device
A time-shared aperture device using the laser illuminated target to provide a return wavefront which passes through the optical train and beam expander. The distortions in this return wavefront are sampled by a rotating beam chopper which completely block...
05/17/1983
4373808Laser doppler attitude measurement
A system is provided for remote determination of the attitude of a moving hicle. The system utilizes two remotely located transmitting-receiving stations and two retroreflecting single plane roof prisms mounted on the vehicle which may exhibit high angula...
02/15/1983
4324491Dual mode guidance system
An active (laser) and passive guidance system having a common sensor (siln-vidicon) for target acquisition, non-imaging seeker (four quadrant detector integrated with four single detectors, gyro optics, electronics), and aim-point correlator. In the pass...
04/13/1982
4311384Laser scanning system
A scanning laser doppler system in which the change in angle between transmitted and received beams caused by the finite transit time to the target is automatically compensated. The scanning beam is produced as a downward looking Palmer scan pattern by an...
01/19/1982
4311385Coherent detection lag angle compensated scanning system independent of inhomogeneities of the detector
A coherent detection scanning laser system having an optical system that compensates for the angular deviation of the received signal resulting from the scanning process, and having a detection system with output independent of spatially varying sensitivi...
01/19/1982
4224507System for tracking a moving target with respect to a frame of reference of unvarying orientation and fixed origin relative to earth
A system for tracking a moving target from a moving carrier. The tracking system is provided with a device for measuring the position of the target in relation to the carrier and with a servocontrol unit for servo controlling the aiming of the device. The...
09/23/1980
4215936Shared pointing for offset target of an adaptive phased array
A coherent optical adaptive system employs phase conjugation for locking the beam of a phased array of laser transmitter to a target, focusing the beam on the target and compensating for distortion and disturbances both within the system and in the propag...
08/05/1980
4209253Laser radar tracking system
A high precision laser radar tracking system is described. Targets which can be tracked include diffuse passive targets, specular passive targets and optical transponders. The base section of the system is fixed relative to the upper section which can rot...
06/24/1980
4173414Method and apparatus for correcting the aiming of an optical illuminator on a target
The invention relates to the aiming of an optical illuminator on a target. The direction in which is seen the maximum light of the illuminator reflected by the target is detected, the angle formed by this direction and the direction of sight is measured a...
11/06/1979
4168908Precision pointing and tracking control system
A precision pointing and tracking control system having a source for producing an electromagnetic beam, a high efficiency diffraction grating, a retroreflector, sensor and means for adjusting the optical relationship between the above elements and a targe...
09/25/1979
4168524Airborne surveying apparatus and method
A method and apparatus for surveying ground terrain from an airborne vehicle is disclosed. According to the method and apparatus, an inertial measurement unit, a position tracking device, and a terrain altimeter are carried by the airborne vehicle in a kn...
09/18/1979
4161652System for optically aiming a laser beam on to a target
System for optically aiming a laser beam on to a target. The system comprises a mirror which reflects the laser beam towards the target and which is supported by a base by means of a pivot and first and second vibrating control members. This pivot and the...
07/17/1979
4155096Automatic laser boresighting
To boresight the laser of a laser designator system to the null point of an automatic television tracker, by selectively causing the laser beam to be retroreflected to the video sensor of the system, which interfaces with a television tracker. The tracker...
05/15/1979
4129775Glint capture system for improving lock stability of coat
An imaging detector system for improving the lock-on stability of an optical system and in particular a multi-dither coat system. A quadrant non-coherent detector is disposed beneath a variable stop iris for receiving focused light from a target. The quad...
12/12/1978
4123651Apparatus and method for speckle tracking
A laser radar system and method for tracking speckle generated by the interaction of a beam of coherent electromagnetic radiation with a target to enhance the signal to noise ratio of a return signal is disclosed. The radar system is formed with a transce...
10/31/1978
4123166Optical detector of remote movement including cyclic scanning of target
A detector of remote movement in which light from a laser is directed at a target and, on reflection from the target, is mixed with reference light from the laser to produce a Doppler signal denoting the movement of the target. The beam of light from the ...
10/31/1978
4047816Attitude determination using two transmitter/receiver stations and skewed reflectors
A system is provided for remote determination of the attitude of a vehicle. he system utilizes two remotely located transmitting-receiving stations and two retroreflecting single plane roof prisms mounted on a vehicle which may exhibit high angular rates a...
09/13/1977
4035084Automatic levelling method and apparatus for rotating laser beam transmitter
Transmitters generating rotating laser beams are commonly employed for surveying and earth working equipment control purposes. This invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically maintaining the rotating laser beam in a required plane which...
07/12/1977
4025193Apparatus suitable for use in orienting aircraft in-flight for refueling or other purposes
A modulated light beam is projected from a transmitter aircraft toward a receiver aircraft and reflected back toward the receiver aircraft by a retroreflector mounted on the receiver aircraft. The reflected light beam is received by the transmitter aircra...
05/24/1977
4003659Single plane corner reflector guidance system
A laser attitude detection and guidance system which uses a number of gro base laser transmitter/detector stations and at least two retroreflecting arrays on the missile to track and determine attitude correction signals to be sent for correcting the att...
01/18/1977
3954340Method of and apparatus for target tracking
The invention relates to optical target tracking. A target image, particularly based on reflected laser light, is projected by an optical system onto a light-sensitive detector, control signals for directing purposes being generated depending on the posit...
05/04/1976
3946233Weapon system for the detection of and use against stationary or moving objects
Weapons system for both detection and affecting of stationary or moving objects. A laser beam is generated at a relatively low power level and caused to monitor, as by sweeping, a predetermined zone or space. Said laser beam or a portion thereof is reflec...
03/23/1976
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