Use of distorting optics in imaging systems

• US 7,008,063 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Infrared Integrated Systems, Ltd. (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Infrared Integrated Systems, Ltd. (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Galloway, John Lindsay, Porter, Stephen George
• Primary Examiner(s): DOWLING, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US10/028,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20020159037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 353/69, 353/70, 353/122, 250/332, 359/503, 359/504, 340/541, 340/555, 340/556
• US Class Current: 353/69
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/08 Anamorphotic objectives
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0028 refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0076 for use with a detector G02B19/009, G02B19/0095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/009 for use with infrared radiation

Abstract

An optical detection system for forming an image of a field of view in an object plane onto an image plane in which the electromagnetic radiation image is transmitted to a detector array at the image plane via an optical distorting element such as a reflector 11, so as to impose a non linear relationship between areas in the image and object planes.

Claims

1. An optical detection system comprising a two dimensional array of regularly spaced detector elements and optical means for forming an image of a field of view in an object plane onto an image plane at which the array is located, the optical means being arranged to map a designated area of the object plane onto the array and including a distorting optical element which imposes a non-linear relationship between areas of the object plane and areas of the image plane.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the designated area has a different shape from that of the detector array.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which a triangular or sector shaped area in the object plane is mapped onto a square or rectangular area in the image plane.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which a “

D”

shaped area in the object plane is mapped onto a square or rectangular area in the image plane.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the distorting optical element is a reflective surface.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the distorting optical element is a refractive element.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the distorting optical element causes a more uniform correspondence between areas of the object plane and areas of the image plane than would be present without the optical element.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1 including a lens for focussing the image onto the image plane.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the object plane is an area of floor or ground and the image plane is at an acute angle to the object plane.