MODULAR NIGHT VISION GOGGLES WITH PELLICLE

• US 20100128135A1
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kollsman Incorporated (Elbit Systems Limited), Night Vision Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kollsman Incorporated (Elbit Systems Limited), Night Vision Corporation
• Inventors: Filipovich, Danny, Ziv, Robert O., Fiore, Jack C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,431,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/217.100
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/012 comprising devices for attenuating parasitic image effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/125 head-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features

Abstract

A night vision goggle system is shown, including optical modules, a heads-up display (HUD) module, and a camera module. Each module may be added to and removed from the system without structural, electrical, or optical damage to itself or the remaining modules. Each optical module takes input light at one end and provides an intensified image at the other. A heads-up display module (HUD) can provide an informational display in any of at least two of the optical modules or both. A camera module is capable of recording both the intensified image produced by a particular optical module, as well as the HUD information shown through that module with substantially no offset from the original display. Both the camera module and the HUD module are installable onto the same optical module at the same time, and can be installed on either (or in some embodiments, any) optical module.

Claims

1. A night vision optical module, comprising:

a module housing having a first end, a second end, and a camera port;

an image intensifier that receives energy through the first end and generates an intensified image; and

a pellicle situated in the optical path between the image intensifier and the second end so that the camera port and the second end receive substantially identical intensified images.

3. The night vision optical module of claim 1, wherein:

the module housing also has a display port; and

the pellicle is also situated in the optical path between the image intensifier, the display port, and the second end so that the second end receives an overlaid combination of the intensified image and an image entering through the display port.

4. The night vision optical module of claim 1, wherein the module housing further comprises an attachment port adapted for removably attaching an outer optical module in a position that adds to the horizontal field of view of an eye at the second end of the night vision optical module.

6. A system comprising the optical module of claim 1,

further comprising a camera module attached to the camera port, and

wherein the camera module receives and converts the intensified images into electrical signals.

8. A system comprising the optical module of claim 3, further comprising:

a camera module removably attachable to the camera port, and

a display module removably attachable to the display port,

wherein when the camera module is attached to the camera port, it receives the intensified image and the display image that are transmitted through the camera port,

when the camera module is removed from the camera port, the removal does not detrimentally affect the image intensifier functionality of the optical module,

when the display module is attached to the display port, it generates the image entering through the display port, and

when the display module is removed from the display port, the removal does not detrimentally affect the image intensifier functionality of the optical module.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein, when the camera module is attached to the camera port and the display module is attached to the display port, the intensified image and the image entering through the display port register substantially identically at the second end and at the camera module.

10. A system comprising two of the optical modules of claim 1, the optical modules:

being mechanically connected to be visible by respective eyes of a user; and

together providing a stereoscopic view of intensified images.

12. A system comprising the optical module of claim 4, further comprising:

an outer optical module, removably attached to the optical module of claim 4 and comprising;

a housing having a first end and a second end; and

an image intensifier situated in the housing that receives an image through the first end and passes an intensified version of the image out through the second end;

wherein when the outer optical module is attached to the optical module of claim 4, expands the horizontal field of view of that optical module.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the outer optical module is removably attached to the optical module of claim 4; and

when the outer optical module is removed, the removal does not detrimentally affect the functionality of the optical module of claim 4.

15. The system of claim 12:

further comprising a second optical module of claim 4;

wherein the outer optical module and the two optical modules of claim 4 are configured so that the outer optical module is removably attachable to either of the optical modules of claim 4.

16. The system of claim 10:

further comprising a first and a second outer optical module, each removably attached to a different one of the optical modules of claim 1 and comprising;

a housing having a first end and a second end; and

an image intensifier situated in the housing that receives an image through the first end and passes an intensified version of the image out through the second end;

wherein each of the outer optical modules expands the horizontal field of view of the optical module of claim 1 to which it is attached.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the outer module:

is contained within an outer module housing that is reattachably separable from the housing of the optical module according to claim 4;

comprises an electrical connector that electrically connects the outer module housing to the housing of the optical module according to claim 4; and

transfers power through the electrical connector.

22. The system of claim 6, wherein

the camera module is removably attached to the optical module;

and

when the camera module is removed from the camera port, the removal does not detrimentally affect the image intensifier functionality of the optical module.

23. The system of claim 10,

further comprising a camera module attached to the camera port of one of the optical modules of claim 1,

wherein the camera module receives and converts the intensified images generated in the optical module to which it is attached, and

the camera module and the two optical modules are configured so that the camera module is removably attachable to either of the two optical modules.

24. The system of claim 6, wherein the camera module:

includes a camera housing that is reattachably separable from the optical module housing;

comprises an electrical connector that electrically connects the camera module to the optical module of claim 1; and

transfers power through the electrical connector.

28. The system of claim 9, wherein

the intensified image and the superimposed display are produced in discrete pixels;

and

the registration of the intensified image and the image entering through the display port at the second end differs from their registration at the camera module by at most a predetermined number of pixels.

29. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the optical channel has an optical axis at the center of the intensified image as it appears at the second end; and

the registration of the intensified image and the image entering through the display port at the second end differs from their registration at the camera module by at most a predetermined angle from the optical axis.

30. The system of claim 6, wherein the camera module converts a sequence of the intensified images into electrical signals that represent video.

2. A night vision optical module, comprising:

a module housing having a first end, a second end, and a display port;

an image intensifier that receives energy through the first end and generates an intensified image; and

a pellicle situated in the optical path between the image intensifier, the display port, and the second end so that the second end receives an overlaid combination of the intensified image and an image entering through the display port.

5. The night vision optical module of claim 2, wherein the module housing further comprises an attachment port adapted for removably attaching an outer optical module in a position that adds to the horizontal field of view of an eye at the second end of the night vision optical module.

7. A system comprising the optical module of claim 2,

further comprising a display module attached to the display port,

wherein the display module generates the image entering through the display port.

11. A system comprising two of the optical modules of claim 2, the optical modules being mechanically connected and together providing a stereoscopic view of intensified images.

13. A system comprising the optical module of claim 5, further comprising:

an outer optical module, removably attached to the optical module according to claim 5, and comprising;

a housing having a first end and a second end; and

an image intensifier situated in the housing that receives an image through the first end and passes an intensified version of the image out through the second end;

wherein when the outer optical module is attached to the optical module of claim 5, expands the horizontal field of view of that optical module.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the outer optical module is removably attached to the optical module of claim 5; and

when the outer module is removed, the removal does not detrimentally affect the functionality of the optical module of claim 5.

19. The system of claim 13:

further comprising a second optical module according to claim 5;

wherein the outer optical module and the two optical modules according to claim 5 are configured such that the outer optical module is removably attachable to the attachment port of either of the optical modules according to claim 5.

20. The system of claim 11:

further comprising a first and a second outer optical module, each removably attached in a position alongside a different one of the inner modules and comprising;

a housing having a first end and a second end; and

an image intensifier situated in the housing that receives an image through the first end and passes an intensified version of the image out through the second end;

wherein each of the outer optical modules expands the horizontal field of view of the inner module alongside which it is attached.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the outer module:

is contained within an outer module housing that is reattachably separable from the optical module housing;

comprises an electrical connector that electrically connects the outer module housing to the system; and

transfers power through the electrical connector.

25. The system of claim 7, wherein

the display module is removably attached to the optical module;

and

when the display module is removed from the display port, the removal does not detrimentally affect the image intensifier functionality of the optical module.

26. The system of claim 11,

further comprising a display module attached to the display port of one of the optical modules,

wherein the display module generates the image entering through the display port of the optical module to which it is attached, and

the optical modules and the display module are configured such that the display module is removably attachable to either of the two optical modules.

27. The system of claim 7, wherein the display module:

is contained within a display housing that is reattachably separable from the optical module housing;

comprises an electrical connector that electrically connects the display module to the optical module; and

transfers power through the electrical connector.