公开(公告)号：US20240402303A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-05

申请号：US17474504

申请日：2021-09-14

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Eric Rogala ,  Mark K. Lange ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Vanessa Reyna ,  Benn H. Gleason ,  Craig O. Shott ,  Garret A. Odom ,  Jon E. Leigh

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  F41G7/22 ,  G01S17/66

Abstract: The design of an existing air-to-air missile seeker is adapted to new missions that require both active laser illumination and detection (passive or active) capabilities. The gimbal is used to point the laser beam to a desired location in a transmit FOR. This approach minimizes the size, weight and power of the sensor because only a small portion of the transmit FOR is illuminated at any instant. This minimizes the laser output required, which reduces the power to operate the laser and the power to maintain the laser at operating temperature. In existing seekers, the gimbal points the detector in the desired direction to expand its FOR. To address the limitations of coupling the laser beam into the gimbaled optical system, the gimbal cannot perform the steering function for the detector. Instead, a staring detector receives light through an off-gimbal aperture within a fixed receive FOR that overlaps the transmit FOR.

公开(公告)号：US20240288584A1

公开(公告)日：2024-08-29

申请号：US17068517

申请日：2020-10-12

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Benn H. Gleason

IPC: G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/86

CPC classification number: G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/4802 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S17/86

Abstract: An obstacle detector uses a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) Micro-mirror Array (MMA) for scanning one or more laser beams over a field of regard to identify negative obstacles in the path of an autonomous vehicle or in other limited visual environments. In certain examples, the MEMS MMA may be segmented to concurrently and independently form and scan multiple laser beams over the field of regard to interrogate different areas, concurrently identify and verify candidate objects, maintain specified spatial resolution or implement a composite scan pattern. The MEMS MMA may be configured to concurrently and independently scan multiple laser beams at different wavelengths or spectral bands. The MEMS MMA may be configured to adjust a size, divergence or intensity profile of the laser beam(s) or to provide wavefront correction to compensate for atmospheric distortion. In certain embodiments, the MEMS MMA may be provided with tip, tilt and piston actuation of the mirrors to form the laser beams.

公开(公告)号：US12000676B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-04

申请号：US17071729

申请日：2020-10-15

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Eric Rogala ,  Garret A. Odom ,  Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Benn H. Gleason

IPC: F41G7/22 ,  B60K31/00 ,  F41G7/00 ,  G01S3/786 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S13/931 ,  G01S17/86 ,  G02B27/64

CPC classification number: F41G7/2246 ,  B60K31/0008 ,  F41G7/008 ,  F41G7/2213 ,  F41G7/2293 ,  G01S3/786 ,  G01S7/4812 ,  G01S7/4813 ,  G01S13/931 ,  G01S17/86 ,  F41G7/2253 ,  G02B27/644

Abstract: Optical sensors and particularly gimbaled optical sensors transmit an active signal at a given wavelength(s) and receive passive signals over a range of wavelengths and the active signal in a common aperture. The sensor includes a Tx/Rx Aperture Sharing Element (ASE) configured with a center region that couples the active signal to the telescope for transmission and an annular region that couples the passive emissions and the returned active signal to the detector. A filter wheel may be positioned behind the ASE to present separate passive and active images to the detector. These optical sensors may, for example, be used with guided munitions or autonomous vehicles.

公开(公告)号：US11837840B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-05

申请号：US17009453

申请日：2020-09-01

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Benn H. Gleason

IPC: G01S17/66 ,  G01S17/86 ,  G02B26/08 ,  H01S3/00 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G06T7/20 ,  B23K26/06 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01C3/08

CPC classification number: H01S3/0071 ,  B23K26/0643 ,  G01S7/4814 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/66 ,  G01S17/86 ,  G06T7/20 ,  G01C3/08 ,  G02B26/0833

Abstract: A multiple target tracker and beam steerer utilizes a MEMs MMA for beam steering to simultaneously illuminate multiple tracked targets per frame. The MMA can be adaptively segmented to change the number of output beams, and the power in a given beam, based on a list of tracked targets, range to targets, threat level etc. The MMA can be adaptively configured to simultaneously perform one or more Designation, Range Finding and Active Imaging modes on the same or different tracked targets. The MMA can be segmented so that each segment includes a plurality of mirrors to “oversample” the input beam. The mirrors in a given segment may be controlled to provide wavefront correction to the corresponding output beam.

公开(公告)号：US20220229160A1

公开(公告)日：2022-07-21

申请号：US17150330

申请日：2021-01-15

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Benn H. Gleason

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/4861

Abstract: Optical systems and methods for object detection and location. One example of an optical system includes a laser radar optical source positioned to emit a pulsed laser beam, a MEMS MMA positioned to scan the beam in a linear scan over a first area of a scene, a laser radar detector positioned to receive and integrate a reflection of the beam, a read-out integrated circuit (ROIC) configured to provide a first read-out signal based on the integrated reflection, and a controller configured to receive the first read-out signal, determine a range to the first area based on a time of flight of the pulsed laser beam, and identify a presence of an object within the scene based on a signal level of the first read-out signal, the first signal level corresponding to a reflectivity of a portion of the object within the first area of the scene. The MEMS MMA being configurable to shape the pulsed laser beam to adjust size, focus or intensity profile or to produce deviations in the wavefront of the beam to compensate for path length differences or atmospheric distortion. The MEMS MMA being configurable to produce and independently steer a plurality of pulsed laser beams of the same or different wavelengths.

公开(公告)号：US20220137395A1

公开(公告)日：2022-05-05

申请号：US17009453

申请日：2020-09-01

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Benn H. Gleason

IPC: G02B26/08 ,  H01S3/00 ,  G06T7/20 ,  B23K26/06 ,  G01S17/66 ,  G01S7/481

Abstract: A multiple target tracker and beam steerer utilizes a MEMs MMA for beam steering to simultaneously illuminate multiple tracked targets per frame. The MMA can be adaptively segmented to change the number of output beams, and the power in a given beam, based on a list of tracked targets, range to targets, threat level etc. The MMA can be adaptively configured to simultaneously perform one or more Designation, Range Finding and Active Imaging modes on the same or different tracked targets. The MMA can be segmented so that each segment includes a plurality of mirrors to “oversample” the input beam. The mirrors in a given segment may be controlled to provide wavefront correction to the corresponding output beam.

公开(公告)号：US12061334B2

公开(公告)日：2024-08-13

申请号：US17231898

申请日：2021-04-15

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： David J. Knapp ,  Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Benn H. Gleason ,  Eric Rogala ,  Mark K. Lange ,  Garret A. Odom ,  Craig O. Shott ,  Zachary D. Barker

IPC: G02B26/10 ,  B81B3/00 ,  G02B26/08

CPC classification number: G02B26/105 ,  B81B3/0083 ,  G02B26/0833 ,  B81B2201/042 ,  B81B2203/058 ,  B81B2207/053

Abstract: An optical scanning system includes one or more Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) Micro-Mirror Arrays (MMAs) used to scan a field-of-view (FOV) over a field-of-regard (FOR). The MEMS MMA is configured such that optical radiation from each point in the FOV does not land on or originate from out-of-phase mirror segments and a diffraction limited resolution of the optical system is limited by the size of the entrance pupil and not by the size of individual mirrors.

公开(公告)号：US11644542B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-09

申请号：US17479896

申请日：2021-09-20

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Craig O. Shott ,  Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Benn H. Gleason ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Mark K. Lange ,  Eric Rogala ,  Vanessa Reyna ,  Garret A. Odom ,  Jon E. Leigh

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  F41G7/22 ,  G01S17/66

CPC classification number: G01S7/4817 ,  F41G7/2246 ,  G01S17/66

Abstract: An optical sensor uses a MEMS MMA to scan a narrow laser beam over a transmit FOR to provide active illumination and to correct the beam profile (e.g., collimate the beam, reduce chromatic aberrations, correct the beam profile or wavefront). A staring detector senses light within a receive FOR that at least partially overlaps the transmit FOR. By completely eliminating the dual-axis gimbal, this sensor architecture greatly reduces the volume and weight of the optical sensor while avoiding the deficiencies of known systems associated with either fiber or free-space coupling of the laser beam into an existing receiver.

公开(公告)号：US11539131B2

公开(公告)日：2022-12-27

申请号：US17001125

申请日：2020-08-24

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller ,  Benn H. Gleason

IPC: G02B6/28 ,  H01Q3/26

Abstract: An optical true time delay (TTD) control device for controllably alters the transit time of an optical beam traveling through the device by using the tip & tilt capability of MEMS MMAs to control the entrance and exit angles to a reflection cavity to coarsely control the path length and transit time and the piston capability to fine tune the path length and transit time. The reflection cavity can be configured in one, two or three dimensions with or without an optically transparent solid medium and using additional MEMS MMAs to provide controllable mirror surfaces within the cavity to enhance dynamic range and tenability. The input MEMS MMA may be “segmented” to re-direct a plurality of channel optical beams from the cavity at the same or different exit angles. The segments may be coated with different AR coatings to provide channel optical beams at different wavelengths.

公开(公告)号：US20220350133A1

公开(公告)日：2022-11-03

申请号：US17242861

申请日：2021-04-28

Applicant: Raytheon Company

Inventor： Benn H. Gleason ,  Gerald P. Uyeno ,  Sean D. Keller

IPC: G02B26/08 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/481 ,  H01S3/00 ,  H01S3/08

Abstract: A steerable laser transmitter and active situational awareness sensor that achieves SWaP-C, steering rate and spectral diversity improvements by scanning a beam with a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) Micro-Minor Array (MMA). One or more sections of non-linear material (NLM) positioned in the optical path (e.g. as annular sections around a conic mirror or as reflective optical coatings on the MMA) are used to convert the wavelength of the beam to a different wavelength while preserving the steering of the beam. The MEMS MMA may include piston actuation of the mirrors to shape the spot-beam.