Modular Optronic Periscope

• US 20120133729A1
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kollmorgen Corporation (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Kollmorgen Corporation (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Inventors: Strzempko, Thaddeus J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,108,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/38 Arrangement of visual or electronic watch equipment, e.g. of periscopes, of radar periscopes, optical aiming or sighting devices per se G02B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/08 Periscopes arrangements on floating structures of underwater viewing devices B63C11/49; arrangement of visual watch equipment on submarines B63G8/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors

Abstract

A modular optronic periscope includes a staring module, having a plurality of static sensors providing image data for a wide field of view at moderate resolution, and an image processor, by way of which image data from the static sensors are stitched together into a single continuous image. A multi-spectral, narrow field of view at a higher resolution than the staring module is produced using a pointing module including a rotatable mirror, and a collimated optical bundle from the pointing module is imaged by way of an optical platform onto photosensitive devices to form a two dimensional image array. Each pixel of the image array is repositioned by way of image derotation circuitry before display.

Claims

1. A modular optronic periscope, comprising:

a staring module including a plurality of static sensors providing image data for a wide field of view, each static sensor having nominal pixel resolution of at least approximately 0.33 mRad in the visible waveband;

an image processor operable to receive image data from the plurality of static sensors and to stitch together the received image data into a single continuous image;

a pointing module including a rotatable mirror providing an optical bundle for a multi-spectral narrow field of view of less than approximately four degrees and at a resolution higher than the wide field of view provided by said staring module;

an optical platform operable to image the optical bundle from said pointing module onto photosensitive devices to form a two dimensional image array; and

image derotation circuitry operable to reposition each pixel of said image array before display.

2. A modular optronic periscope according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of static sensors that detect visible light.

3. A modular optronic periscope according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of static sensors that detect infrared light.

4. A modular optronic periscope according to claim 1, further comprising a low inertia rotatable mirror.

5. A modular optronic periscope according to claim 4, wherein said low inertia rotatable mirror is inertially stabilized.

6. A modular optronic periscope according to claim 1, wherein said optical bundle is a collimated optical bundle.

7. A modular optronic periscope according to claim 6, wherein said collimated optical bundle is separated into smaller spectral wavebands.