Infrared acquisition device
First Claim
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1. Acquisition apparatus responsive to an infrared emissive target within a given field of view, comprising:
- a first array of infrared energy responsive detectors radially disposed in a common plane about a common center;
a second array of infrared energy responsive detectors annularly disposed with respect to said first array of detectors and coplanar therewith;
optical means for collecting and focusing infrared energy from said given field of view onto an image plane coplanar with said first and second arrays of detectors;
positioning means movably carrying said optical means and responsive to signals generated by infrared energy from said target impinging upon a detector of said second array to reposition said optical means to cause the energy from said target to be directed onto a detector of said first array and away from a detector of said second array.
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Abstract
An infrared acquisition device is described which surveys a relatively large field of view in which an emissive target is likely to appear. An optical system focuses an image of the target onto a mosaic of separate detectors arranged in concentric fields and so arranged that the appearance of the target image on the outer or peripheral field will reposition the optical system so as to move the image onto the inner or central field. Chopper means are provided for modulating the signal for processing into servo control signals and also for discriminating against background radiation.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. Acquisition apparatus responsive to an infrared emissive target within a given field of view, comprising:
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a first array of infrared energy responsive detectors radially disposed in a common plane about a common center; a second array of infrared energy responsive detectors annularly disposed with respect to said first array of detectors and coplanar therewith; optical means for collecting and focusing infrared energy from said given field of view onto an image plane coplanar with said first and second arrays of detectors; positioning means movably carrying said optical means and responsive to signals generated by infrared energy from said target impinging upon a detector of said second array to reposition said optical means to cause the energy from said target to be directed onto a detector of said first array and away from a detector of said second array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. The method of locating a radiant energy emissive target within a given field of view comprising the steps of:
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dividing said given field of view into two concentric coplanar viewing zones, one within the other; subdividing each of said viewing zones into a plurality of contiguous viewing sectors; focusing an image of said emissive target onto an image plane which is coplanar with said viewing zones; generating a control signal in response to radiant energy from said emissive target imaged upon any one or more of said sectors, said control signal being identifiable with the corresponding one or more of said sectors upon which a target image falls; slewing said field of view, in response to the generation of a control signal at any one of said sectors in the outer one of said viewing zones, in a direction which will cause the energy from said target to impinge on an adjacent one of said sectors in the inner one of said viewing zones; and
thereafter,shifting the center of said field of view to substantially coincide with the common center of the sectors comprising said inner viewing zones. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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Specification