Night vision device and method

• US 6,087,660 A
• Filed: 11/14/1997
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Litton Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Morris, Terry Duane, Sutton, Marcus Leslie
• Primary Examiner(s): Westin, Edward P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANIG, RICHARD E
• Application Number:
  US08/970,871
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 250/330, 250/214 VT, 359/815, 359/407, 359/409
• US Class Current: 250/330
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/125 head-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/98 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the tube and not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A night vision device (NVD) includes a control circuit having an acceleration-responsive switch. When the NVD is in a generally horizontal use position, the acceleration-responsive switch enables a circuit allowing voltage to be applied to an image intensifier tube of the night vision device, so that night vision is provided. On the other hand, when the device is flipped up to a stowed position allowing the user of the device unobstructed natural vision, the acceleration-responsive switch senses the changed orientation of the gravitational acceleration vector, and turns off the image intensifier tube as well as other light-emitting sources of the night vision device. The acceleration responsive switch controls operation of voltage step-up circuit, which allows the NVD to be operated with a single one and on-half volt battery cell, and which also insures when it is turned off that not only is the image intensifier tube turned off, but also that all other possible sources of light emissions from the NVD are turned off.

Claims

1. A night vision device (NVD) comprising:

an image intensifier tube;

a source of electrical power for said image intensifier tube;

a switch circuit which in a first position of said NVD relative to the earth allows electrical power supply to said image intensifier tube, in a second position of said NVD relative to the earth said switch circuit causing electrical power supply to said image intensifier tube to be discontinued;

whereby in said second position of the night vision device, said image intensifier tube is turned off;

wherein said switch circuit includes an acceleration-responsive switch sensing movement of said NVD between the first and second positions;

in which said acceleration-responsive switch senses accelerations applied to the night vision device;

wherein said switch circuit further includes a time delay circuit portion delaying the turning off of said image intensifier tube for a certain interval after each of;

the sensing by said acceleration-responsive switch of movement of the NVD to said second position, and after the application of a sufficient acceleration to the NVD affecting said acceleration-responsive switch.

2. The NVD of claim 1 wherein said switch circuit further includes a re-set function preventing shutting off of said image intensifier tube after the application of a sufficient acceleration to the NVD affecting said acceleration-responsive switch, but which acceleration is not sustained long enough to exceed said certain interval.

3. The NVD of claim 1 wherein said NVD also includes a supplemental source of infrared illumination operable when said image intensifier tube is operated, said switch circuit also including means for turning off said supplemental source of illumination simultaneously with turning off of said image intensifier tube.

4. A night vision device (NVD) comprising:

an image intensifier tube, said image intensifier tube being capable of providing a visible image in response to receipt of light;

a single battery cell providing battery voltage for providing the sole source of electrical power to the image intensifier tube;

a low-voltage voltage step-up circuit receiving battery power at battery voltage and responsively providing as an output an intermediate voltage which is above battery voltage, said low-voltage voltage step-up circuit further having a shutdown terminal to which supply of a signal causes said circuit to discontinue supply of said intermediate voltage as an output and to provide substantially zero voltage as an output;

a high-voltage voltage step-up circuit receiving said intermediate voltage and responsively providing high voltage levels to the image intensifier tube to provide said visible image; and

a switch circuit in response to a pre-determined criteria connecting a signal to said shutdown terminal;

whereby, occurrence of said pre-determined criteria causes said low-voltage voltage step-up circuit to shut down, causing said high-voltage voltage step-up circuit to cease providing said high voltage levels to said image intensifier tube, and causing said image intensifier tube to cease providing said image.

5. The NVD of claim 4 wherein said switch circuit includes an acceleration-responsive switch sensing acceleration applied to said night vision device, and said pre-determined criteria includes the application of acceleration to said NVD which exceeds a certain vector.

6. The NVD of claim 4 wherein said switch circuit further includes a time delay circuit portion delaying the turning off of said image intensifier tube for a certain interval after said acceleration-responsive switch senses acceleration of said NVD which exceeds said certain vector.

7. A method of operating a NVD having an image intensifier tube, said method comprising steps of:

providing a source of electrical power for said image intensifier tube; and

providing a switch circuit within said NVD which in a first position of said NVD relative to the earth allows electrical power supply to said image intensifier tube, and which in a second position of said NVD relative to the earth causes electrical power supply to said image intensifier tube to be discontinued;

wherein said step of providing said switch circuit includes the step of using an acceleration-responsive switch to sense movement of said NVD between the first and second positions;

further including the step of using said acceleration-responsive switch to also sense accelerations applied to the night vision device;

further including the steps of including a time delay circuit in association with said switch circuit, and utilizing said time delay circuit to delay the turning off of said image intensifier tube for a certain interval after movement of the NVD from said first to said second position.

8. The method of claim 7 further including the step of utilizing the time delay circuit to also delay for said certain interval the turning off of the NVD after application of a sufficient acceleration to the NVD affecting said acceleration-responsive switch.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the step of including a re-set function in said time delay circuit which re-set function prevents shutting off of said image intensifier tube after the application of a sufficient acceleration to the NVD affecting said acceleration-responsive switch, but which acceleration is not sustained long enough to exceed said certain interval.

10. A method of providing night vision, said method comprising steps of:

providing an image intensifier tube;

using a single battery cell to provide battery voltage as the sole source of electrical power to the image intensifier tube, and utilizing the image intensifier tube to provide a visible image in response to receipt of light when battery voltage is connected to provide said sole source of electrical power to the image intensifier tube;

providing a low-voltage voltage step-up circuit receiving battery power at battery voltage and responsively providing an intermediate voltage which is above battery voltage;

providing a high-voltage voltage step-up circuit receiving said intermediate voltage and responsively providing high voltage levels to the image intensifier tube for operation of the image intensifier tube;

providing said low-voltage voltage step-up circuit with a shutdown terminal causing said low-voltage voltage step-up circuit to reduce its output from said intermediate voltage to substantially less than battery voltage when a certain signal is provided at said shutdown terminal, so that said battery voltage is not connected to provide said sole source of electrical power to the image intensifier tube upon said certain signal being provided to said shutdown terminal; and

utilizing a switch circuit responsive to a pre-determined criteria to provide said certain signal to said shutdown terminal.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the steps of including in said pre-determined criteria the application to a night vision device (NVD) practicing this method of an acceleration which exceeds a certain value, and utilizing an acceleration-responsive switch sensing the acceleration applied to said NVD.

12. The method of claim 11 further including the step of including in association with said switch circuit a time delay circuit delaying the turning off of said image intensifier tube for a certain interval after said acceleration-responsive switch senses acceleration of said NVD which exceeds said certain value.

13. A night vision device (NVD) comprising:

an image intensifier tube;

a source of electrical power for said image intensifier tube; and

a tilt switch in a first position of said NVD allowing electrical power supply to said image intensifier tube, and in a second position of said NVD said tilt switch causing electrical power supply to said image intensifier tube to be discontinued so that said image intensifier tube is turned off;

further including a time delay circuit in association with said tilt switch and delaying the turning off of said image intensifier tube for a certain interval after movement of the NVD from said first to said second position.

14. A night vision device (NVD) comprising:

an image intensifier tube providing a visible image in response to a supply of electrical power and the receipt of light;

a source of electrical power for the image intensifier tube;

an optical system admitting light to the image intensifier tube;

a switch circuit supplying electrical power from said source to said image intensifier tube, and being responsive to an output response to effect a shut down of said image intensifier tube;

an acceleration-responsive element responding to acceleration applied to said NVD to provide said output response; and

a time delay element which for a certain time interval after said output response delays the shutting down of said image intensifier tube.