Imaging system and method
First Claim
1. An optical imaging system for an air vehicle, comprising an image acquisition unit, a pointing mechanism and an optical shield, said image acquisition unit having an optical axis and configured for providing images in a direction along said axis, said image acquisition unit being mounted to said pointing mechanism, said pointing mechanism being configured for selectively pointing said optical axis in a desired direction, and said optical shield being mounted to said image acquisition system and configured for shielding said image acquisition unit from receiving undesired electromagnetic radiation from at least one direction inclined at an angle not less than a shielding angle to the optical axis, wherein said optical shield is configured for avoiding significantly reducing the overall stiffness of said image acquisition unit when mounted thereto.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical imaging system is provided for an airborne platform or the like, including an image acquisition unit having an optical axis and configured for providing images in a direction along said axis, the image acquisition unit being mounted to a pointing mechanism configured for selectively pointing said optical axis in a desired direction. The system also has an optical shield configured for shielding said image acquisition unit from receiving undesired electromagnetic radiation from at least one direction different from said desired direction.
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Citations
21 Claims
- 1. An optical imaging system for an air vehicle, comprising an image acquisition unit, a pointing mechanism and an optical shield, said image acquisition unit having an optical axis and configured for providing images in a direction along said axis, said image acquisition unit being mounted to said pointing mechanism, said pointing mechanism being configured for selectively pointing said optical axis in a desired direction, and said optical shield being mounted to said image acquisition system and configured for shielding said image acquisition unit from receiving undesired electromagnetic radiation from at least one direction inclined at an angle not less than a shielding angle to the optical axis, wherein said optical shield is configured for avoiding significantly reducing the overall stiffness of said image acquisition unit when mounted thereto.
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19. An optical imaging system for an air vehicle, comprising an image acquisition unit, a pointing mechanism and an optical shield, said image acquisition unit having an optical axis and configured for providing images in a direction along said axis, said image acquisition unit being mounted to said pointing mechanism, said pointing mechanism being configured for selectively pointing said optical axis in a desired direction, and said optical shield being mounted to said image acquisition system and configured for shielding said image acquisition unit from receiving undesired electromagnetic radiation from at least one direction inclined at an angle not less than a shielding angle to the optical axis, wherein said optical shield is configured for avoiding significantly reducing the overall stiffness of said image acquisition unit when mounted thereto, and wherein said optical shield is a relatively rigid component, having a weight and an inertia that are low relative to a weight and an inertia, respectively, of said image acquisition unit.
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20. An optical imaging system for an air vehicle, comprising an image acquisition unit, a pointing mechanism and an optical shield, said image acquisition unit having an optical axis and configured for providing images in a direction along said axis, said image acquisition unit being mounted to said pointing mechanism, said pointing mechanism being configured for selectively pointing said optical axis in a desired direction, and said optical shield being mounted to said image acquisition system and configured for shielding said image acquisition unit from receiving undesired electromagnetic radiation from at least one direction inclined at an angle not less than a shielding angle to the optical axis, wherein said optical shield is configured for avoiding significantly reducing the overall stiffness of said image acquisition unit when mounted thereto, wherein said optical shield is configured for being deployed between a retracted configuration, in which said optical shield has a compact retracted volume, and a deployed configuration, in which said optical shield has an extended volume having an aperture having an aperture dimension and length having a length dimension, wherein an angle corresponding to a ratio of said aperture dimension to said length dimension is not less than said shielding angle, wherein said image acquisition unit is configured for providing images via said aperture.
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21. An optical imaging system for an airborne platform or the like, comprising an image acquisition unit, a pointing mechanism and an optical shield, said image acquisition unit having an optical axis and configured for providing images in a direction along said axis, said image acquisition unit being mounted to said pointing mechanism, said pointing mechanism being configured for selectively pointing said optical axis in a desired direction, and said optical shield being mounted to said image acquisition system and configured for shielding said image acquisition unit from receiving undesired electromagnetic radiation from at least one direction substantially different from said desired direction, said image acquisition unit having a stiffness characteristic, wherein said optical shield is configured for avoiding significantly affecting said stiffness characteristic of said image acquisition unit.
Specification