Optical systems and associated detecting means

Claim 2

An opaque main supporting housing and a light-collecting and detecting system disposed within said main supporting housing at a location intermediate the spaced opposite ends thereof said housing surrounding said light-collecting and detecting system and said system being arranged to simultaneously view from said location all parts of a predetermined endless annular object field outwardly of said main housing and in concentric relation to a longitudinal axis extending centrally through said housing, said system comprising a single photosensitive detecting element of relatively small predetermined size disposed at a fixed axial location in said main housing for detecting any appreciable change in light intensity occurring in any part of said object field, a plurality of similar light apertures circumferentially arranged in side wall portions of said housing, said light apertures being appreciably spaced from one another in said wall portions and with said wall portions between each pair of adjacent light apertures being of substantially equal size, each of said light apertures being of relatively small dimensions considered in both the axial and circumferential directions of said housing, and each being arranged in like angular relation to said longitudinal axis at said fixed axial location, thereby each of said light apertures will be disposed so as to face outwardly toward a different predetermined sector of said endless annular object field, each light aperture being formed so as to view a sector of appreciable circumferential angular value, and to admit into said housing light from all parts of the sector aligned therewith, and all of said light apertures being so disposed relative to each other in said housing as to jointly simultaneously admit into said housing light from all parts of said endless annular object field, a plurality of optical systems within said housing, each of said optical systems being optically aligned with a different one of said light apertures, respectively, and with said photosensitive detecting element, and each of said optical systems comprising means providing a plurality of spaced optical surfaces including means having an optical surface for collecting substantially all of the light from said object field which enters the light aperture aligned therewith and for directing substantially all of the light so collected toward means providing a second optical surface, said second optical surface being a positive optical surface disposed so as to receive substantially all of said light and direct same as a convergent beam onto said photosensitive detecting element.

Claim 3

An opaque main supporting housing and a light-collecting and detecting system disposed within said main supporting housing at a location intermediate the spaced opposite ends thereof said housing surrounding said light-collecting and detecting system and said system being arranged to simultaneously view from said location all parts of a predetermined hollow conically-shaped endless annular object field outwardly of said main housing and in concentric relation to a longitudinal axis extending centrally through said housing, said system comprising a single photosensitive detecting element of relatively small predetermined size disposed at a fixed axial location in said main housing for detecting any appreciable change in light intensity occurring in any part of said object field, a plurality of similar light apertures circumferentially arranged in wall portions of said housing, said light apertures being appreciably spaced from one another in said wall portions and with said wall portions between each pair of adjacent light apertures being of substantially equal size, each of said light apertures being of relatively small dimensions considered in both the axial and circumferential directions of said housing, and each being arranged in like angular relation to said longitudinal axis at said fixed axial location, whereby each of said light apertures will be disposed so as to face outwardly toward a different predetermined sector of said conically-shaped endless annular object field, each light aperture being formed so as to view a sector of appreciable circumferential angular value, and to admit into said housing light from all parts of the sector aligned therewith, and all of said light apertures being so disposed relative to each other in said housing as to jointly simultaneously admit into said housing light from all parts of said conically-shaped endless annular object field, a plurality of optical systems within said housing each of said optical systems being optically aligned with a different one of said light apertures, respectively, and with said photosensitive detecting element, and each of said optical systems comprising means providing a plurality of spaced optical surfaces including means having an optical surface for collecting substantially all of the light from said object field which enters the light aperture aligned therewith and for directing substantially all of the light so collected toward means providing a second optical surface, said second optical surface being a positive optical surface disposed so as to receive substantially all of said light and direct same as a convergent beam onto said photosensitive detecting element.

Claim 4

An opaque main supporting housing and a light-collecting and detecting system disposed within said main supporting housing at a location intermediate the spaced opposite ends thereof said housing surrounding said light-collecting and detecting system and said system being arranged to simultaneously view from said location all parts of a predetermined hollow conically-shaped endless annular object field outwardly of said main housing and in concentric relation to a longitudinal axis extending centrally through said housing, said system comprising a single photosensitive detecting element of relatively small predetermined size disposed at a fixed axial location in said main housing for detecting any appreciable change in light intensity occurring in any part of said object field, a plurality of similar light apertures circumferentially arranged in wall portions of said housing, said light apertures being appreciably spaced from one another in said wall portions and with said wall portions between each pair of adjacent light apertures being of substantially equal size, each of said light apertures being of relatively small dimensions considered in both the axial and circumferential directions of said housing, and each being arranged in like angular relation to said longitudinal axis at said fixed axial location, whereby each of said light apertures will be disposed so as to face outwardly toward a different predetermined sector of said conically-shaped endless annular object field, each light aperture being formed so as to view a sector of appreciable circumferential angular value, and to admit into said housing light from all parts of the sector aligned therewith, and all of said light apertures being so disposed relative to each other in said housing as to jointly simultaneously admit into said housing light from all parts of said conically-shaped endless annular object field, a plurality of optical systems within said housing each of said optical systems being optically aligned with a different one of said light apertures, respectively, and with said photosensitive detecting element, and each of said optical systems comprising means providing a plurality of spaced optical surfaces including means having an optical surface for collecting substantially all of the light from said object field which enters the light aperture aligned therewith and for directing substantially all of the light so collected toward means providing a second optical surface, said second optical surface being a positive optical surface disposed so as to receive substantially all of said light and direct same as a convergent beam onto said photosensitive detecting element.

Claim 5

The combination as set forth in claim 2 and in which the first-mentioned optical surface of each optical system is a plane mirror surface disposed substantially half-way between the plane of the light aperture aligned therewith and said axis and is substantially parallel to said axis so as to form a virtual image of this light aperture substantially at said longitudinal axis of said housing, and said second surface is a cylindrical surface in concentric relation to said longitudinal axis.

Claim 6

The combination as set forth in claim 2 and in which the first-mentioned optical surface of each opticaL system is a cylindrically curved refracting surface formed upon a refracting optical component disposed adjacent the outer surface of said housing, said cylindrical surface having its axis of curvature extending in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis, and said second surface is a spherically curved surface disposed adjacent said photosensitive detecting element.

Claim 7

The combination as set forth in claim 2 and in which the first-mentioned optical surface of each optical system is a plane mirror surface disposed substantially half-way between the plane of the light aperture aligned therewith and said longitudinal axis and is substantially parallel to said axis so as to form a virtual image of this light aperture substantially at said longitudinal axis, and said second surface is a conically-shaped surface having its axis in concentric relation to said longitudinal axis and having an apex angle such as to direct light received from said first surface generally toward said photosensitive detecting element.

Claim 8

The combination as set forth in claim 2 and in which the first-mentioned optical surface of each optical system is a plane mirror surface disposed substantially half-way between the plane of the light aperture aligned therewith and said longitudinal axis and is substantially parallel to said axis so as to form a virtual image of this light aperture substantially at said longitudinal axis, and said second surface is a toric surface having one of its surface curvatures in concentric relation to said longitudinal axis and its other surface curvature of such positive power as to focus parallel light from said first surface upon said photosensitive detector.

Claim 9

An opaque main supporting housing and a light-collecting and detecting system disposed within said main supporting housing at a location intermediate the spaced opposite ends thereof said housing surrounding said light-collecting and detecting system and said system being arranged to simultaneously view from said location all parts of a predetermined hollow conically-shaped endless annular object field outwardly of said main housing and in concentric relation to a longitudinal axis extending centrally through said housing, said system comprising a single photosensitive detecting element of relatively small predetermined size disposed at a fixed axial location in said main housing for detecting any appreciable change in light intensity occurring in any part of said object field, a plurality of similar light apertures circumferentially arranged in wall portions of said housing, said light apertures being appreciably spaced from one another in said wall portions and with said wall portions between each pair of adjacent light apertures being of substantially equal size, each of said light apertures being of relatively small dimensions considered in both the axial and circumferential directions of said housing, and each being arranged in like angular relation to said longitudinal axis at said fixed axial location, whereby each of said light apertures will be disposed so as to face outwardly toward a different predetermined sector of said conically-shaped endless annular object field, each light aperture being formed so as to view a sector of appreciable circumferential angular value, and to admit into said housing light from all parts of the sector aligned therewith, and all of said light apertures being so disposed relative to each other in said housing as to jointly simultaneously admit into said housing light from all parts of said conically-shaped endless annular object field, a plurality of optical systems within said housing, each of said optical systems being optically aligned with a different one of said light apertures, respectively, and with said photosensitive detecting element, and each of said optical systems comprising means providing a plurality of spaced optical surfaces including means having a plane mirror surface for collecting substantially all of the light from said object field which enters The light aperture aligned therewith and for reflecting substantially all of the light so collected toward means providing a second optical surface, said second optical surface being a cylindrically curved mirror surface disposed in concentric relation to said longitudinal axis so as to receive substantially all of the reflected light and direct same toward a third optical surface, and said third optical surface being a positive refracting surface disposed on a refractive component having said photosensitive element in optical contact with an opposed surface thereon, said third surface serving to direct substantially all of the light so received as a convergent beam onto said photosensitive detecting element.

Claim 10

An opaque main supporting housing and a light-collecting and detecting system disposed within said main supporting housing at a location intermediate the spaced opposite ends thereof said housing surrounding said light-collecting and detecting system and said system being arranged to simultaneously view from said location all parts of a predetermined hollow conically-shaped endless annular object field outwardly of said main housing and in concentric relation to a longitudinal axis extending centrally through said housing, said system comprising a single photosensitive detecting element of relatively small predetermined size disposed at a fixed axial location in said main housing for detecting any appreciable change in light intensity occurring in any part of said object field, a plurality of similar light apertures circumferentially arranged in wall portions of said housing, said light apertures being appreciably spaced from one another in said wall portions and with said wall portions between each pair of adjacent light apertures being of substantially equal size, each of said light apertures being of relatively small dimensions considered in both the axial and circumferential directions of said housing, and each being arranged in like angular relation to said longitudinal axis at said fixed axial location, whereby each of said light apertures will be disposed so as to face outwardly toward a different predetermined sector of said conically-shaped endless annular object field, each light aperture being formed so as to view a sector of appreciable circumferential angular value, and to admit into said housing light from all parts of the sector aligned therewith, and all of said light apertures being so disposed relative to each other in said housing as to jointly simultaneously admit into said housing light from all parts of said conically-shaped endless annular object field, a plurality of optical systems within said housing, each of said optical systems being optically aligned with a different one of said light apertures, respectively, and with said photosensitive detecting element, and each of said optical systems comprising means providing a plurality of spaced optical surfaces including means having a plane mirror surface for collecting substantially all of the light from said object field which enters The light aperture aligned therewith and for reflecting substantially all of the light so collected toward means providing a second optical surface, said second optical surface being a cylindrically curved mirror surface disposed in concentric relation to said longitudinal axis so as to receive substantially all of the reflected light and direct same toward a third optical surface, and said third optical surface being a positive refracting surface disposed on a refractive component having said photosensitive element in optical contact with an opposed surface thereon, said third surface serving to direct substantially all of the light so received as a convergent beam onto said photosensitive detecting element.