Enhanced night vision goggle assembly

• US 6,762,884 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Litton Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Hogan, Timothy B., Bacarella, Antonio V., Beystrum, Timothy R., Doster, Rodney L., Waterman, Michael D., Boryshuk, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US10/250,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20040042086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 359/618, 359/629, 359/630, 359/634, 359/350, 359/353
• US Class Current: 359/629
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/125 head-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

A system (S) for combining multi-spectral images of a scene includes a channel (18) for transmitting a scene image (10) in a first spectral band. A separate, second detector (22) senses the scene in a second spectral band. The second detector (22) has an image output that is representative of the scene. A display (28) displays an image (12) in the second spectral band. A beam mixer (30) combines the image output (10) in the first spectral band with the displayed image (12), and conveys the combined multi-spectral images to an output (32) for a user (U).

Claims

1. A system for combining multi-spectral images of a scene, the system comprising:

a channel for transmitting a scene image in a first spectral band in a first optical path;

a separate second detector for sensing the scene in a second spectral band in a second optical path, the second detector having an image output representative of the scene;

a display for receiving the image output of the second detector, and displaying an image from the second spectral band; and

a beam mixer for combining the image output in the first spectral band with the displayed image, and conveying the combined multi-spectral images to an output.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the beam mixer includes a dichroic coating.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein an output path of the display is essentially perpendicular to the first optical path.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the system is man-portable.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein the system is helmet mounted.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein the image displayed by the display of the second spectral hand channel is essentially perpendicular to the image transmitted by the channel for the first spectral band.

7. The invention of claim 1 wherein the display includes a transparent Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED).

8. The invention of claim 1 wherein the first optical path includes an image intensifier.

9. A system for combining multi-spectral images of a scene, the system comprising:

a channel for transmitting a scene image in a first spectral band in a first optical path;

a separate second detector for sensing the scene in a second spectral band in a second optical path, the second detector having an image output representative of the scene;

a display for receiving the image output of the second detector, and displaying an image from the second spectral band;

the display includes a transparent Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED); and

a beam mixer for combining the image output in the first spectral band with the displayed image, and conveying the combined multi-spectral images to an output.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein the beam mixer includes a dichroic coating.

11. The invention of claim 9 wherein an output path of the display is essentially perpendicular to the first optical path.

12. The invention of claim 9 wherein the system is man-portable.

13. The invention of claim 9 wherein the system is helmet mounted.

14. The invention of claim 9 wherein the image displayed by the display of the second spectral band channel is essentially perpendicular to the image transmitted by the channel for the first spectral band.

15. The invention of claim 9 wherein the first optical path includes an image intensifier.