Optical energy detection system including image plane scanning system

Claim 2

In a system for detecting optical energy, the combination comprising: a. a lens oriented along an axis for receiving optical energy; b. a detector displaced from said axis for responding to optical energy; c. a scanning wheel interposed between said lens and said detector; and d. a prism mounted on said scanning wheEl having a first reflecting surface in the vicinity of the periphery of said scanning wheel for reflecting optical energy transmitted from said lens and a second reflecting surface radially inwardly of said first reflecting surface with respect to said wheel for directing optical energy to said detector, said scanning wheel and said detector being positioned and said prism being dimensioned such that an image is focused on said detector.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1 in which said prism consists of a material having a high index of refraction, whereby the mechanical focal length of said lens is increased.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 2 in which said prism comprises a rhomboid.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 3 in which said prism consists of fused germanium.

Claim 6

In an optical energy detection system, the combination comprising: a. a lens for focusing optical energy; b. a detector responsive to optical energy focused thereon; c. a rotatatable scanning wheel positioned in an optical path from said lens to said detector; and d. a plurality of rhomboid prisms spaced about said scanning wheel each having a first surface in the vicinity of the periphery of said scanning wheel for reflecting a cone of rays leaving an exit aperture of said lens and a second reflecting surface radially inwardly of said first reflecting surface for reflecting optical energy reflected from first reflecting surface to said detector, said detector and wheel being positioned and said prisms being dimensioned such that optical energy reflected by each of said prisms from said lens to said detector is focused on said detector.

Claim 7

In an optical energy detection system, the combination comprising: a. a lens for focusing optical energy; b. a detector responsive to optical energy focused thereon; c. a rotatatable scanning wheel positioned in an optical path from said lens to said detector; and d. a plurality of rhomboid prisms spaced about said scanning wheel each having a first surface in the vicinity of the periphery of said scanning wheel for reflecting a cone of rays leaving an exit aperture of said lens and a second reflecting surface radially inwardly of said first reflecting surface for reflecting optical energy reflected from first reflecting surface to said detector, said detector and wheel being positioned and said prisms being dimensioned such that optical energy reflected by each of said prisms from said lens to said detector is focused on said detector.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 5 in which said prisms comprise constant deviation prisms.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 6 in which said prisms are equiangularly spaced on said scanning wheel.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 7 in which each of said prisms is of the same length measured in the radial direction of said scanning wheel.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 6 in which said prisms are of different lengths in the radial direction of said scanning wheel, and of differing thicknesses such that focusing of optical energy on said detector is maintained, whereby interlaced scan is provided.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 9 in which said detector includes a number of sensitive elements equal to a multiple of the number of said prisms on said scanning wheel, the center to center distance of said sensitive elements being equal to the difference of radial lengths between said prisms, whereby interlaced scan is provided.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 9 in which n prisms are provided and said detector includes m sensitive elements associated with each prism, whereby nm interlaced scan lines are provided.

Claim 14

In an optical energy detection system including a lens and a detector, the improvement comprising: a rotatable scanning wheel disposed in an optical path between said lens and said detector, said rotatable scanning wheel having mounted thereon a plurality of wedge-shaped rhomboid prisms angularly spaced about the periphery of said scanning wheel, each prism having a first reflective surface in the vicinity of the periphery of said scanning wheel for intercepting a cone of rays emanating from an exit aperture of said lens and a second reflecting surface parallel to said first reflecting surface for reflecting optical energy from said first reflecting surface to said detector.

Claim 15

In an optical energy detection system including a lens and a detector, the improvement comprising: a rotatable scanning wheel disposed in an optical path between said lens and said detector, said rotatable scanning wheel having mounted thereon a plurality of wedge-shaped rhomboid prisms angularly spaced about the periphery of said scanning wheel, each prism having a first reflective surface in the vicinity of the periphery of said scanning wheel for intercepting a cone of rays emanating from an exit aperture of said lens and a second reflecting surface parallel to said first reflecting surface for reflecting optical energy from said first reflecting surface to said detector.

Claim 16

In an image plane scanning system comprising a lens for receiving optical energy and a detector, the improvement comprising: a scanning wheel interposed in an optical path between said lens and said detector, said scanning wheel having mounted thereon at least one prism with first and second reflecting surfaces for reflecting optical energy from said lens to said detector, said first reflecting optical energy to said second surface.

Claim 17

In an image plane scanning system comprising a lens for receiving optical energy and a detector, the improvement comprising: a scanning wheel interposed in an optical path between said lens and said detector, said scanning wheel having mounted thereon at least one prism with first and second reflecting surfaces for reflecting optical energy from said lens to said detector, said first reflecting optical energy to said second surface.

Claim 18

In a system for detecting optical energy, in combination comprising: a. a lens having a focal lengTh FL oriented along an axis for receiving optical energy; b. a detector displaced from said axis for responding to optical energy and placed an optical path length SFL from an entrance aperture of said lens; c. a scanning wheel interposed between said lens and said detector; and d. a prism mounted on said scanning wheel, said prism and said lens providing a focal length of SFL, having a first reflecting surface in the vicinity of the periphery of said scanning wheel for reflecting optical energy transmitted from said lens and a second reflecting surface radially inwardly of said first reflecting surface with respect to said wheel for directing optical energy to said detector, said scanning wheel and said detector being positioned and said prism being dimensioned such that an image is focused on said detector and such that the optical path through said prism and to said detector is no longer than SFL minus MBFL, where MBFL corresponds to the mechanical back focal length of a long focal length lens having multiple elements and said prism.

Claim 19

In a system for detecting optical energy, in combination comprising: a. a lens having a focal lengTh FL oriented along an axis for receiving optical energy; b. a detector displaced from said axis for responding to optical energy and placed an optical path length SFL from an entrance aperture of said lens; c. a scanning wheel interposed between said lens and said detector; and d. a prism mounted on said scanning wheel, said prism and said lens providing a focal length of SFL, having a first reflecting surface in the vicinity of the periphery of said scanning wheel for reflecting optical energy transmitted from said lens and a second reflecting surface radially inwardly of said first reflecting surface with respect to said wheel for directing optical energy to said detector, said scanning wheel and said detector being positioned and said prism being dimensioned such that an image is focused on said detector and such that the optical path through said prism and to said detector is no longer than SFL minus MBFL, where MBFL corresponds to the mechanical back focal length of a long focal length lens having multiple elements and said prism.

Claim 20

In an optical energy detection system, the combination comprising: a. a lens having a focal length FL for focusing optical energy; b. a detector responsive to optical energy focused thereon and placed an optical path length SFL from an entrance aperture of said lens; c. a rotatable scanning wheel positioned in an optical path from said lens to said detector; and d. a plurality of rhomboid prisms spaced about each scanning wheel, each of said rhomboid prisms having a first surface in the vicinity of the periphery of said scanning wheel for reflecting a cone of rays leaving an exit aperture of said lens and a second reflecting surface radially inwardly of said first reflecting surface for reflecting optical energy reflected from first reflecting surface to said detector, said prism and said lens providing a focal length of SFL, said detector and wheel being positioned and said prism being dimensioned such that optical energy reflected by each of said prisms from said lens to said detector is focused on said detector, and such that the optical path through said prism and to said detector is no longer than SFL minus MBFL, where MBFL corresponds to the back focal length of a long focal length lens having multiple elements and said prisms.

Claim 21

In an optical energy detection system, the combination comprising: a. a lens having a focal length FL for focusing optical energy; b. a detector responsive to optical energy focused thereon and placed an optical path length SFL from an entrance aperture of said lens; c. a rotatable scanning wheel positioned in an optical path from said lens to said detector; and d. a plurality of rhomboid prisms spaced about each scanning wheel, each of said rhomboid prisms having a first surface in the vicinity of the periphery of said scanning wheel for reflecting a cone of rays leaving an exit aperture of said lens and a second reflecting surface radially inwardly of said first reflecting surface for reflecting optical energy reflected from first reflecting surface to said detector, said prism and said lens providing a focal length of SFL, said detector and wheel being positioned and said prism being dimensioned such that optical energy reflected by each of said prisms from said lens to said detector is focused on said detector, and such that the optical path through said prism and to said detector is no longer than SFL minus MBFL, where MBFL corresponds to the back focal length of a long focal length lens having multiple elements and said prisms.

Claim 22

In an optical energy detection system including a lens having a focal length FL and a detector, improvement comprising: a rotatable scanning wheel disposed in an optical path between said lens and said detector, said rotatable scanning wheel having mounted thereon a plurality of wedge-shaped rhomboid prisms angularly spaced about the periphery of said scanning wheel, each prism having a first reflective surface in the vicinity of the periphery of said scanning wheel for intercepting a cone of rays emanating from an exit aperture of said lens and a second reflecting surface parallel to said first reflecting surface for reflecting optical energy from said first reflecting surface to said detector, whereby an image is focused at an optical path length SFL from an entrance aperture of said lens which is longer than FL such that said scanning wheel may be placed an optical path length from said lens so that each of said prisms intercepts an entire cone of rays focused by said lens at a greater distance from said lens than the distance at which a first of a pair of parallel reflecting mirrors would be placed to focus an image at an optical path length FL from said lens.

Claim 23

In an optical energy detection system including a lens having a focal length FL and a detector, improvement comprising: a rotatable scanning wheel disposed in an optical path between said lens and said detector, said rotatable scanning wheel having mounted thereon a plurality of wedge-shaped rhomboid prisms angularly spaced about the periphery of said scanning wheel, each prism having a first reflective surface in the vicinity of the periphery of said scanning wheel for intercepting a cone of rays emanating from an exit aperture of said lens and a second reflecting surface parallel to said first reflecting surface for reflecting optical energy from said first reflecting surface to said detector, whereby an image is focused at an optical path length SFL from an entrance aperture of said lens which is longer than FL such that said scanning wheel may be placed an optical path length from said lens so that each of said prisms intercepts an entire cone of rays focused by said lens at a greater distance from said lens than the distance at which a first of a pair of parallel reflecting mirrors would be placed to focus an image at an optical path length FL from said lens.