System of holographic optical elements for testing laser range finders

• US 5,009,502 A
• Filed: 04/20/1989
• Issued: 04/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Moss, Gaylord E., Smith, Ronald T., Chang, David B., Arns, James A., Shih, I-Fu
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnold, Bruce Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RYAN, JAY
• Application Number:
  US07/341,010
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 350/3.6, 350/3.7, 350/3.72, 350/3.77, 356/4, 356/5, 356/152, 356/354, 356/363
• US Class Current: 356/152.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4972 Alignment of sensor

Abstract

A focusing, collimating, and beamsplitting test system for testing laser rangefinders for their beam quality, ranging accuracy, and sight unit alignment. The system includes holographic optical elements in place of conventional mirrors, lenses and beamsplitters. The advantages of this system are that it not only reduces the size and weight of optical elements, but also reduces the number of required elements. Consequently, the resulting test equipment requires less labor to assemble and is more compact and much lighter than conventional test systems.

Claims

1. A testing system, for testing an electro-optic rangefinder having a sight unit operating at visible light wavelengths, and a laser transmitter-receiver unit operating at infrared wavelengths, the testing system including a visual reticle, an optical delay line and a detector responsive to laser light, means for testing alignment of the sight unit with the laser transmitter-receiver unit and for testing rangefinding performance, said testing system further characterized in that holographic optical elements are employed to selectively distribute and focus (i) visible light emitted by the visual reticle to said sight unit, (ii) laser light emitted by said laser to said optical delay line and to said detector, and (iii) infra-red light re-emitted from said optical delay line back to said laser receiver.

2. Apparatus for testing alignment of a first optical path with a second optical path, said apparatus comprising:

a detector responsive to incident energy of a first wavelength or wavelength range;

a test object for reflecting visible wavelength energy; and

holographic optical means for;

(a) receiving said visible wavelength energy from said test object, collimating said energy and directing said energy along a first optical path; and

(b) receiving energy of said first wavelength or wavelength range from along a second optical path;

said test object and said detector being cooperatively placed such that if said second optical path is properly aligned with said first optical path said holographic optical means will focus and direct said energy of said first wavelength or wavelength range onto said detector.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein energy of said first wavelength or wavelength range is infrared energy.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said test object is a reticle.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said detector is an array of detector elements and said holographic optical means focuses said energy of said first wavelength or wavelength range onto a predetermined area of said array.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said predetermined area is a central area of said array.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

an optical delay line having a predetermined optical length; and

said holographic optical means further comprising means for focusing and directing a portion of said energy of a first wavelength of wavelength range onto said optical delay line and for receiving and directing energy re-emitted by said optical delay line back along said second optical path.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said holographic optical means comprises a first holographic optical element and a second holographic optical element;

said first holographic optical element for;

(a) receiving said visible wavelength energy from said test object, collimating said energy and directing said energy along a first optical path; and

(b) receiving energy of said first wavelength or wavelength range from along a second optical path and directing said energy toward said second holographic optical element;

said second holographic optical element for;

(c) receiving energy of said first wavelength or wavelength range from said first holographic optical element;

(d) focusing a first portion thereof onto said optical delay line;

(e) directing energy re-emitted by said optical delay line back toward said first holographic optical element for direction back along said second optical path; and

(f) directing a second portion thereof onto said detector.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said first and second holographic optical elements form a telephoto system that provides a relatively long focal length in relation to the system length.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said first holographic optical element comprises two holograms adhered together, a first one of said holograms being selective to light of said first wavelength or wavelength range and a second hologram being selective to visible light energy.