External variable aperture and relay for infra-red cameras
First Claim
1. An external optical relay assembly to match a fore optic having a first f-number and a first aperture stop to an infrared camera having a cold stop, comprising a second f-number and a second aperture stop, wherein said first f-number comprises f-numbers that are the same as and different than said second f-number, said external optical relay assembly comprising:
- optical components;
wherein said optical components disposed within said external optical relay assembly cause an image of said first aperture stop to be formed within said external optical relay assembly; and
wherein said optical components disposed within said external optical relay assembly further cause said image of said first aperture stop to be formed at substantially a same plane as said second aperture stop; and
a third aperture stop disposed within said optical components;
wherein said third aperture stop disposed within said external optical relay assembly at substantially a same plane as said image of said first aperture stop;
wherein said third aperture stop being thermally cooled;
wherein said third aperture stop substantially centered along an optical axis; and
wherein said third aperture stop causes said first f-number to effectively match said second f-number and said optical components cause an image of an object of said fore optic to be formed on substantially a same plane as a focal plane of said infrared camera.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An external optical relay assembly to allow an infrared camera with a fixed aperture to be used with a variety of fore optics, including refractive compound lenses, reflective telescopes, and reflective/refractive lenses, by providing an external, cooled aperture, that can be adjusted to provide effective f-number matching to the fore optic, allowing any f-number fore optic to be used with the infrared camera. This allows users of large families of similar telescopes, for example, to use their inventory of infrared Ritchie-Chrétien telescopes with a single infrared camera, regardless of f-numbers.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An external optical relay assembly to match a fore optic having a first f-number and a first aperture stop to an infrared camera having a cold stop, comprising a second f-number and a second aperture stop, wherein said first f-number comprises f-numbers that are the same as and different than said second f-number, said external optical relay assembly comprising:
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optical components; wherein said optical components disposed within said external optical relay assembly cause an image of said first aperture stop to be formed within said external optical relay assembly; and wherein said optical components disposed within said external optical relay assembly further cause said image of said first aperture stop to be formed at substantially a same plane as said second aperture stop; and a third aperture stop disposed within said optical components; wherein said third aperture stop disposed within said external optical relay assembly at substantially a same plane as said image of said first aperture stop; wherein said third aperture stop being thermally cooled; wherein said third aperture stop substantially centered along an optical axis; and wherein said third aperture stop causes said first f-number to effectively match said second f-number and said optical components cause an image of an object of said fore optic to be formed on substantially a same plane as a focal plane of said infrared camera. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An external optical relay assembly to allow an interchangeable fore optic of a first f-number to be matched with an infrared camera of a second f-number, where said interchangeable fore optic comprises a first aperture stop, where said infrared camera having a cold stop comprises a second aperture stop, wherein said first f-number comprises f-numbers that are the same as and different than said second f-number, said external optical relay assembly comprising:
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optical components; a functional group of said optical components to form an image of said first aperture stop within said external optical relay assembly; a further functional group of said optical components to substantially relay said image of said first aperture stop onto a plane of said second aperture stop; a third aperture stop operatively disposed within said external optical relay assembly between said infrared camera and said interchangeable fore optic; wherein said third aperture stop disposed substantially at a plane of said image of said first aperture stop; wherein said third aperture stop being cooled; wherein any effective mismatch between said first f-number and said second f-number results in a minimal reduction in performance due to said cooling of said third aperture stop; and wherein said functional groups of said optical components disposed within said external optical relay assembly cause an image of an object of said interchangeable fore optic to be formed on substantially a same plane as a focal plane of said infrared camera. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An external optical relay assembly to allow a fore optic of any f-number to be matched with an infrared camera of any f-number, and said infrared camera having a cold stop, wherein said any f-number of the fore optic comprises f-numbers that are the same as and different than said any f-number of the infrared camera, said external optical relay comprising:
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optical components, said optical components comprising a means for forming an image of a pupil of said fore optic at an aperture stop disposed within said external optical relay assembly, said aperture stop being cooled; wherein said optical components further comprises a means for forming an image of an object of said fore optic at a focal plane of said infrared camera; and wherein said external optical relay assembly provides effective f-number matching between said fore optic and said infrared camera and allows said infrared camera to capture images through said fore optic.
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Specification