Panoramic visual system for non-rotating structures

• US 6,731,845 B1
• Filed: 06/19/1990
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sperry Marine, Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Gerdt, David William
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Application Number:
  US07/540,999
• Time in Patent Office: 5,068 Days
• Field of Search: 350/96.15, 350/96.18, 350/96.2, 350/96.22, 350/96.24, 350/96.25, 350/540, 350/541
• US Class Current: 385/116
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/08 Periscopes arrangements on floating structures of underwater viewing devices B63C11/49; arrangement of visual watch equipment on submarines B63G8/38
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/22 Underwater equipment for submarine periscopes G02B23/08; arrangements on floating structures of underwater viewing devices B63C11/49; arrangement of visual watch equipment on submarines B63G8/38

Abstract

A panoramic view of the world surrounding a stationary mast of a submarine is provided by a plurality of small windows disposed circumferentially around the mast and a corresponding plurality of lenses for imaging the fields of view thereof onto coherent fiber optic image bundles. The fields of view of the lenses overlap to provide a complete panoramic view. The exit ends of the image guides are arranged to form a polygonal opening so that a replica of the panoramic view is provided within the opening. A mirror or prism rotating within the opening scans the view replica and directs the scanned image to a stationary television camera. A derotating prism in the path of the directed scanned image rotates at one-half the angular displacement of the image director to compensate for rotation imparted to the scanned image by the image director.

Claims

1. A system for providing a panoramic scan of a scene comprising

a plurality of lenses for providing optical images of adjacent fields of view of said scene, said optical images of said adjacent fields of view providing a continuous optical panoramic view of said scene,

a plurality of coherent optical image guides, having respective entrance surfaces, said entrance surfaces respectively coupled to said plurality of lenses for coherently conveying said optical images from said entrance surfaces to exit surfaces respectively corresponding to said entrance surfaces,

said exit surfaces arranged to establish thereon a continuous coherent optical replica of said panoramic view of said scene,

said exit surfaces being arranged to form an opening having a continuous interior inwardly facing surface comprised of said exit surfaces, said continuous coherent optical replica of said panoramic view being disposed on said continuous interior surface of said opening;

and

scanning means for scanning said continuous coherent optical replica of said panoramic view on said exit surfaces,

said scanning means comprising relay lens means, image director means rotatably disposed within said opening for scanning said continuous coherent optical replica of said panoramic view and directing a corresponding scanned optical image to said relay lens means and a television camera disposed to receive said scanned optical image from said relay lens means,

thereby providing said panoramic scan of said scene.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each said image guide comprises a coherent fiber optic bundle image relay.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of lenses is disposed at equal distances around the periphery of a submarine mast.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein

said system comprises a first portion disposed within said mast and a second portion disposed remotely from said first portion,

said first portion comprising said plurality of lenses and said entrance surfaces of said image guides,

said second portion comprising said exit surfaces of said image guides and said scanning means,

said first portion being comprised of dielectric materials.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said opening comprises a polygonal opening.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said image director means comprises an image directing prism.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said image director means comprises an image directing mirror.

8. The system of claim 5 further including an image intensifier disposed between said relay lens means and said television camera means.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein said scanning means further includes derotation means disposed between said image director means and said television camera means for compensating rotation imparted to said scanned image by said image director means.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said derotation means comprises a derotating prism geared to said image director means by a 2:

1 gear ratio so that said derotating prism rotates through one-half the angular displacement of said image director means.