Thermal pointer

• US 8,774,244 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daylight Solutions, Inc. (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Daylight Solutions, Inc. (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Pushkarsky, Michael, Arnone, David F., Barre, Matt, Caffey, David P., Crivello, Salvatore F., Day, Timothy, Thomas, Kyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhang, Yuanda
• Application Number:
  US13/303,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20120106160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 372/50.12, 372/50.121, 372/50.122, 372/50.23, 362/259
• US Class Current: 372/50.12
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4206 Optical features G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/005 Optical components external to the laser cavity, specially adapted therefor, e.g. for homogenisation or merging of the beams or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping H01S5/026, H01S5/18388 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0222 Gas-filled housings
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02253 using lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02325 Mechanically integrated components on mount members or optical micro-benches
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02469 Passive cooling, e.g. where heat is removed by the housing as a whole or by a heat pipe without any active cooling element like a TEC
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02476 Heat spreaders, i.e. improving heat flow between laser chip and heat dissipating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3401 having no PN junction, e.g. unipolar lasers, intersubband lasers, quantum cascade lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4012 Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4025 Array arrangements, e.g. constituted by discrete laser diodes or laser bar H01S5/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4087 emitting more than one wavelength

Abstract

A laser source assembly for providing an assembly output beam includes a first emitter, a second emitter, and a third emitter. The first emitter emits a first beam along a first beam axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from an assembly axis. The second emitter emits a second beam along a second beam axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the assembly axis. The third emitter emits a third beam along a third beam axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the assembly axis. The first beam axis, the second beam axis and the third beam axis are positioned spaced apart about and substantially equidistant from the assembly axis.

Claims

1. A laser source assembly for providing an assembly output beam directed in an output direction along an assembly axis of the laser source assembly, the laser assembly comprising:

a mounting base;

a first quantum cascade emitter that emits a first beam in the output direction along a first beam axis, the first quantum cascade emitter being secured to the mounting base so that the first beam axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the assembly axis;

a first lens that collimates the first beam, the first lens being coaxial with the first beam axis;

a second quantum cascade emitter that emits a second beam in the output direction along a second beam axis, the second quantum cascade emitter being secured to the mounting base so that the second beam axis is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the assembly axis;

a second lens that collimates the second beam, the second lens being coaxial with the second beam axis;

a third quantum cascade emitter that emits a third beam in the output direction along a third beam axis, the third quantum cascade emitter being secured to the mounting base so that the third beam axis is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the assembly axis, wherein the first beam axis, the second beam axis and the third beam axis are positioned spaced apart about and substantially equidistant from the assembly axis;

a third lens that collimates the third beam, the third lens being coaxial with the first beam axis; and

a beam adjuster assembly positioned on the assembly axis that receives the first beam, the second beam and the third beam, wherein the first beam is non-folded and travels in only the output direction along the first beam axis between the first quantum cascade emitter and the beam adjuster assembly, wherein the second beam is non-folded and travels in only the output direction along the second beam axis between the second quantum cascade emitter and the beam adjuster assembly, and wherein the third beam is non-folded and travels in only the output direction along the third beam axis between the third quantum cascade emitter and the beam adjuster assembly.

2. The laser source assembly of claim 1 wherein the beam adjuster assembly that collectively expands the first, second, and third beams and subsequently collimates the first, second, and third beams.

3. The laser source assembly of claim 1 wherein the first beam includes a first set of wavelengths, the second beam includes a second set of wavelengths, and the third beam includes a third set of wavelengths, and wherein the first wavelength set is different from the second set of wavelengths and the third set of wavelengths.

4. The laser source assembly of claim 1 wherein the first beam includes a first set of wavelengths, the second beam includes a second set of wavelengths, and the third beam includes a third set of wavelengths, and wherein the first set of wavelengths is equal to the second set of wavelengths and the third set of wavelengths.

5. The laser source assembly of claim 1 further comprising a system controller that directs power to the first emitter, the second emitter and the third emitter to adjust a pulse width and a repetition rate of the assembly output beam.

6. A targeting assembly comprising a thermal imager that captures a thermal image, and the laser source assembly of claim 1.

7. A weapon assembly comprising a weapon and the targeting assembly of claim 6.

8. The laser source assembly of claim 1 wherein the beam adjuster assembly includes (i) a convex collimating diverging lens that diverges the first, second and third beams, and (ii) a concave collimating assembly lens that collimates the first, second, and third beams.

9. The laser source assembly of claim 1 further comprising a heat dissipater that transfers heat away from the mounting base.

10. The laser source assembly of claim 1 further comprising (i) a first heat sink that secures the first quantum cascade emitter to the mounting base, (ii) a second heat sink that secures the second quantum cascade emitter to the mounting base, and (iii) a third heat sink that secures the third quantum cascade emitter to the mounting base.

11. The laser source assembly of claim 1 further comprising (i) a first heat sink that secures the first quantum cascade emitter and the second quantum cascade emitter to the mounting base, and (ii) a second heat sink that secures the third quantum cascade emitter to the mounting base.

12. The laser source assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting base includes a common heat sink that secures the first quantum cascade emitter, the second quantum cascade emitter, and the third quantum cascade emitter to the mounting base.

13. A laser source assembly for providing an assembly output beam directed in an output direction along an assembly axis of the laser source assembly, the laser source assembly comprising:

a mounting base;

a first quantum cascade emitter that emits a first beam in the output direction along a first beam axis, the first quantum cascade emitter being coupled to the mounting base so that the first beam axis is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the assembly axis;

a first lens that collimates the first beam, the first lens being coaxial with the first beam axis;

a second quantum cascade emitter that emits a second beam in the output direction along a second beam axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the first beam axis, the second quantum cascade emitter being coupled to the mounting base so that the second beam axis is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the assembly axis, wherein the first beam axis and the second beam axis are positioned substantially equidistant from the assembly axis;

a second lens that collimates the second beam, the second lens being coaxial with the second beam axis; and

a beam adjuster assembly positioned on the assembly axis that diverges and subsequently collimates the first beam that exits the first lens and the second beam that exits the second lens;

wherein the first beam travels along only the first beam axis between the first quantum cascade emitter and the beam adjuster assembly, and wherein the second beam travels along only the second beam axis between the second quantum cascade emitter and the beam adjuster assembly.

14. The laser source assembly of claim 13 wherein the beam adjuster assembly includes (i) a diverging lens that diverges the first beam that exits the first lens and the second beam that exits the second lens, and (ii) an assembly lens that collimates the first beam and the second beam exiting from the diverging lens.

15. The laser source assembly of claim 13 further comprising a third emitter that emits a third beam along a third beam axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the from the first beam axis and the second beam axis, and a third lens that collimates the third beam, and wherein the beam adjuster assembly diverges and subsequently collimates the third beam that exits the third lens.

16. The laser source assembly of claim 13 wherein the first beam includes a first set of wavelengths, and the second beam includes a second set of wavelengths that is different from the first set of wavelengths.

17. The laser source assembly of claim 13 wherein the first beam includes a first set of wavelengths, and the second beam includes a second set of wavelengths that is equal to the first set of wavelengths.

18. The laser source assembly of claim 13 further comprising a system controller that directs power to the first emitter and the second emitter to adjust a pulse width and a repetition rate of the assembly output beam.

19. A weapon assembly comprising a weapon, a thermal imager that captures a thermal image, the thermal imager being coupled to the weapon, and the laser source assembly of claim 13.

20. A thermal pointer assembly for use with a thermal imager to highlight a target for a weapon, the thermal pointer assembly including an assembly axis, the thermal pointer assembly comprising:

a thermal pointer comprising (i) a first quantum cascade emitter that emits a first beam in an output direction along a first beam axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the assembly axis;

(ii) a second quantum cascade emitter that emits a second beam in the output direction along a second beam axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the first beam axis and the assembly axis; and

(iii) a beam adjuster assembly positioned on the assembly axis that diverges and subsequently collimates the first beam and the second beam;

wherein the first beam is non-folded and travels in only the output direction along the first beam axis between the first quantum cascade emitter and the beam adjuster assembly, and wherein the second beam is non-folded and travels in only the output direction along the second beam axis between the second quantum cascade emitter and the beam adjuster assembly; and

a mount that secures the thermal pointer to the weapon.

21. The thermal pointer assembly of claim 20 wherein the first beam includes a first set of wavelengths, and the second beam includes a second set of wavelengths that is different from the first set of wavelengths.

22. The thermal pointer assembly of claim 20 wherein the first beam includes a first set of wavelengths, and the second beam includes a second set of wavelengths that is equal to the first set of wavelengths.

23. The thermal pointer assembly of claim 20 wherein the thermal pointer further comprises a third emitter that emits a third beam along a third beam axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the from the first beam axis and the second beam axis, and wherein the first beam axis, the second beam axis and the third beam axis are positioned substantially parallel to, spaced apart about and substantially equidistant from the assembly axis.

24. A weapon assembly comprising a weapon, a thermal imager that captures a thermal image, the thermal imager being coupled to the weapon, and the thermal pointer assembly of claim 20.