NIGHT VISION SYSTEM

• US 20130155244A1
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DevCar, LLC
• Original Assignee: DevCar, LLC
• Inventors: O'Rourke, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,773,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/158
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/75 by influencing optical camera components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A night vision system includes an image sensor and circuitry coupled to a digital storage medium or transmitter that periodically samples a signal provided by the image sensor and stores the sampled image to be viewed in near real time or at a later date by a data analyst. The night vision system includes an imaging assembly with a casing surrounding an image intensifier and the associated circuitry along with a port for accepting a power and/or signal cable for providing power to the image assembly and image signal data to the digital storage medium. The system may further include a daytime camera and a switch for toggling the image signal data input to the digital storage medium between the daytime camera and the low light image sensor, as well as a transmission system for wirelessly transmitting signals.

Claims

1. A hands free night vision system comprising:

an imaging assembly comprising

a protective case,

an image intensifier disposed within the protective case, the image intensifier having a first end and a second end;

said first end having an exposed objective lens that accepts photons from a low light image of an object of interest and with an image sensor converts said photons into an electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest,

an output that outputs the electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest;

a power source coupled to the imaging assembly and providing power thereto to the image intensifier to convert the light into the electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest;

a control unit coupled to the imaging assembly and comprising a memory that accepts and stores the electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest;

a mounting device for mounting the imaging assembly onto a helmet; and

,

a signal path arranged between the image intensifier image sensor and the control unit memory, and that transmits the electronic signal there between.

2. The hands free night vision system of claim 1 wherein said mounting device is a securing device to mount the imaging assembly by engaging a helmet rail attachment system on the helmet, securing the image intensifier thereto.

3. The hands free night vision system of claim 1 wherein said mounting device is a strap fixed to the helmet securing the imaging assembly to the top of the helmet.

4. The hands free night vision system of claim 1 wherein said mounting device is Velcro.

5. The hands free night vision system of claim 1 wherein said imaging assembly is rotatably mounted to the helmet by the mounting device, permitting rotation of the image intensifier relative to the helmet.

6. The hands free night vision system of claim 1 further comprising a pair of microphones that generate sounds which are recorded in the memory, an imaging switch, and a camera to produce images which are sampled and stored in the memory, and the imaging switch is operably disposed within the signal path for switching input to the memory between the image intensifier and the camera.

7. The hands free night vision system of claim 6 wherein the camera is configured for daylight imaging, and the imaging switch comprises a photocell that automatically detects daytime light or nighttime light and aligns the signal switch and signal path to the camera for daytime and to the image intensifier for nighttime.

8. The hands free night vision system of claim 1 wherein said memory is a solid state memory.

9. The hands free night vision system of claim 1 wherein said control unit includes a positive on/off switch, an erase/format button, and an output port for use with viewing screens or glasses or downloading stored images from the memory, said output port also being used for recharging onboard batteries or power source of the control panel.

10. The hands free night vision system of claim 1 wherein said signal path is a flexible cable.

11. The hands free night vision system of claim 1 wherein said lens is a wide angle lens.

12. The hands free night vision system of claim 1 wherein said lens is a zoom lens.

13. The hands free night vision system of claim 1 wherein the lens is coupled to the image intensifier by a threaded coupler.

14. The hands free night vision system of claim 1 wherein the image intensifier comprises an image sensor that is one of a charge coupled device or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor device.

15. The hands free night vision system of claim 1, further comprising a capture system that time stamps the image of the object of interest.

16. The hands free night vision system of claim 1, further comprising an image capture system that stamps the image of the object of interest with location from a global positioning system device.

17. The hands free night vision system of claim 1, further comprising an infrared light source attached to the imaging assembly to emit infrared light to enhance capability of image intensifier to gather light.

18. The hands free night vision system of claim 1, wherein the lens of the imaging assembly is a first lens, the imaging assembly further comprising:

a second lens;

a photocathode arranged in proximity to the first lens, said photocathode converting photons received by the first lens into a first plurality of electrons;

a micro-channel plate arranged in proximity to the photocathode to convert the first plurality of electrons into a second plurality of electrons having a larger magnitude than the first plurality of electrons;

a screen arranged in proximity to the micro channel plate and being struck by the second plurality of electrons, said screen comprising a material that fluoresces when struck by the second plurality of electrons to produce an image representative of the low light image; and

,

a semiconductor image chip that converts said image representative of the low light image into a digital signal; and

,

the second lens is arranged between said screen and said semiconductor image chip to focus the image representative of the low light image onto the semiconductor image chip.

19. The hands free night vision system of claim 1, wherein the image intensifier further comprises:

a photocathode arranged in proximity to the lens, said photocathode converting photons received by the lens into a first plurality of electrons;

a micro-channel plate arranged in proximity to the photocathode to convert the first plurality of electrons into a second plurality of electrons having a larger magnitude than the first plurality of electrons;

a screen arranged in proximity to the micro channel plate and being struck by the second plurality of electrons, said screen comprising a material that fluoresces when struck by the second plurality of electrons to produce an image representative of the low light image;

an image sensor that converts said image representative of the low light image into a digital signal; and

,

a plurality of fiber optics arranged between said screen and said semiconductor image chip to focus the image representative of the low light image onto the image sensor.

20. The hands free night vision system of claim 1, wherein the image intensifier further comprises:

a photocathode arranged in proximity to the lens, said photocathode converting photons received by the lens into a first plurality of electrons;

a micro-channel plate arranged in proximity to the photocathode to convert the first plurality of electrons into a second plurality of electrons having a larger magnitude than the first plurality of electrons;

a screen arranged in proximity to the micro channel plate and being struck by the second plurality of electrons, said screen comprising a material that fluoresces when struck by the second plurality of electrons to produce an image representative of the low light image;

an image sensor that converts said image representative of the low light image into a digital signal; and

,

said screen and said semiconductor image chip arranged in direct contact to focus the image representative of the low light image onto the image sensor.

21. A hands free night vision system comprising:

an imaging assembly comprising a protective case and an image intensifier having a first end and a second end;

said first end having an objective lens that accepts photons from a low light image of an object of interest and converts said photons into an electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest, an image intensifier output that outputs the electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest, said image intensifier disposed within the protective case;

a power source coupled to the imaging assembly and providing power thereto to convert the light into the electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest;

a control unit coupled to the imaging assembly and comprising a memory that accepts and stores the electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest;

wherein the image intensifier and control unit are in electronic communication to transmit the electronic signal therebetween; and

a mounting device for mounting the image intensifier onto a body.

22. The hands free night vision system of claim 21, wherein said mounting device operably engages with a receptacle worn on the body of a human, animal, or machine.

23. A hands free night vision system comprising:

an imaging assembly comprising a protective case and an image intensifier having a first end and a second end;

said first end having an objective lens that accepts photons from a low light image of an object of interest and converts said photons into an electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest, an output arranged at the second end of the image intensifier that outputs the electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest, said image intensifier disposed within the protective case;

a power source coupled to the imaging assembly and providing power thereto to the system and to convert the light into the electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest;

a control unit coupled to the imaging assembly;

a mounting device for mounting the image intensifier onto a body;

a transmission system; and

wherein the image intensifier, control unit, and transmission system are in electronic communication to transmit the electronic signal therebetween.

24. The hands free night vision system of claim 23, wherein the transmission system comprises a port configured to receive electronic connectors of cables to enable electronic communication to an external transmitter for transmission of the electronic signal.

25. The hands free night vision system of claim 23 wherein the transmission system further comprises a transmitter for transmission of the electronic signal in a format compatible with a tactical data exchange network.

26. The hands free night vision system of claim 25 wherein the transmission system further comprises a multiplexer for time division multiplexing of the electronic signal.

27. A hands free night vision system comprising:

an imaging assembly having a protective case and an image sensor disposed in the protective case that accepts light from an image of an object of interest and converts said light into an electronic signal representative of the light image of the object of interest;

a power source coupled to the imaging assembly and providing power to the image sensor to convert the light into the electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest;

a control unit coupled to the imaging assembly and comprising a memory that accepts and stores the electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest;

a mounting device for mounting the image intensifier tube onto a helmet; and

,

a electronic signal path arranged between the image sensor, control unit and memory that transmits the electronic signal there between.

28. The hands free night vision system of claim 27 wherein image sensor is a short wave infrared range sensor.

29. The hands free night vision system of claim 27 wherein the image sensor is a thermal imaging sensor configured to produce the electronic signal representative of the low light image of the object of interest by using sensing thermal energy.

30. The hands free night vision system of claim 27 wherein image sensor is one of a low light charge coupled device or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor device.