Patent EP0124682A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0124682A1
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Coaxial wideband refractive optical system
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1984-01-25
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-01-25
Abstract
Abstract A coaxial wideband refractive optical system 10 is disclosed which permits the coaxial use of high resolution optical sensors and transmitters with very large (20 to 1) differences in their spectral wavelength of operation. The technique includes a front (objective) lens 18 of wideband transmitting material such as, for example, ZnS, ZnSe, GaAs, TI-1 173 glass or Germanium followed by a beamsplitter 20, and two doublet lens 22 and 24, and 44 for simultaneous optical correction of electromagnetic energy wavelengths up to and including 20:1 from the visible spectrum to about 12 microns in the infrared. The front lens 18 is a single, positive lens element which can have large color dispersion characteristics not normally associated with an objective lens element.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert E. Crossland
- 👤 Erwin E. Cooper
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 18:33
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B23/00; G02B23/02; G02B23/08; G02B1/00; G02B1/02; G02B13/00; G02B13/14; G02B13/146; G02B23/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
61 words
A coaxial wideband refractive optical system comprising a lens means including a front lens 18 and a beamsplitter means 20, said beamsplitter means positioned after the front lens in operative association with the front lens for simultaneous optical correction of electromagnetic energy wavelengths up to and including 20 to 1 from the visible spectrum to about 12 microns in the infrared.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
61 words
A coaxial wideband refractive optical system comprising a lens means including a front lens 18 and a beamsplitter means 20, said beamsplitter means positioned after the front lens in operative association with the front lens for simultaneous optical correction of electromagnetic energy wavelengths up to and including 20 to 1 from the visible spectrum to about 12 microns in the infrared.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A coaxial wideband refractive optical system according to Claim i wherein the beamsplitter means of the optical means selectively divides the spectrum of electromagnetic wavelengths into two optical paths, each of said optical paths having a doublet correction lens means (22 and 24).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
A coaxial wideband refractive optical system according to Claim 2 wherein the doublet lens means includes a negative lens 22 and a positive lens 24 whereby the color dispersion of the front lens 18 is corrected by the negative lens 22 of the doublet and the positive lens 24 of the doublet balances the remaining aberrations.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A coaxial wideband refractive optical system according to Claim 3 wherein the negative lens and front lens have similar chromatic characteristics.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A coaxial wideband refractive optical system according to Claim 3 wherein the negative lens is of the same optical material as the front element.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
74 words
6 . A coaxial wideband refractive optical system comprising: (a) a front lens means including an objective lens of wideband transmitting material; (b) a beamsplitter means behind the front lens for passing electromagnetic energy of preselected first and second bandwidths; and (c) first and second optic channels positioned behind the beamsplitter means for selectively receiving and transmitting, respectively, the electromagnetic energy of the first and second bandwidths for correcting the spectral characteristics and viewing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
74 words
6 . A coaxial wideband refractive optical system comprising: (a) a front lens means including an objective lens of wideband transmitting material; (b) a beamsplitter means behind the front lens for passing electromagnetic energy of preselected first and second bandwidths; and (c) first and second optic channels positioned behind the beamsplitter means for selectively receiving and transmitting, respectively, the electromagnetic energy of the first and second bandwidths for correcting the spectral characteristics and viewing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
. The coaxial wideband refractive optical system according to Claim 6 wherein the first optic channel positioned behind the beamsplitter means is an infrared channel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
67 words
The coaxial wideband refractive optical system according to Claim 11 wherein the infrared channel includes an I R energy optic path having an objective lens for forming a primary image focal plane, an eyepiece selectively positioned with respect to the focal plane for collimating IR energy, derotation means, and an infrared system including IR processing means for converting IR energy into a visible representation thereof for viewing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The coaxial wideband refractive optical system according to Claim 6 wherein the second optic channel positioned behind the beamsplitter means is a visible channel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The coaxial wideband refractive optical system according to Claim 13 wherein the visible optic channel comprises a variable magnification telescopic optical system, including a reticle, relay/erection section, derotation, and eyepiece.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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