Electro-optical switching system

Claim 2

Electro-optical switching system for providing visual selection and remote actuation of visually selectable electronic apparatus, comprising: activating source means, adapted for disposal on the anatomy of an operator, and including transmitter means for providing a beam of electromagnetic energy at a determined carrier frequency within the optical frequency spectrum, said beam being transmitted along an axis of propagation in a spatial direction determined by the operator; visually activated switch means, one for each of an associated one of the visually selectable apparatus, each disposed at a determined visual distance within the field of view of the operator, and each including electromagnetic radiation sensor means having a radiation detection surface for providing a signal manifestation in response to electromagnetic energy at said determined carrier frequency incidnet on said detection surface, the signal manifestation having a time duration coincident with the incidence of the electromagnetic energy on said detection surface; control means, responsive to the signal manifestations from each of said sensor means, for actuating the associated one of the visually selectable apparatus in response to the presence of a signal manifestation from a corresponding one of said sensors in the absence of concurrent signal manifestations from any of the other ones of said sensors.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1, wherein said beam of electromagnetic energy provided by said transmitter means is pulse modulated at a determined carrier frequency and pulse repetition frequency, and wherein each of said electromagnetic radiation sensor means provides said signal manifestation only in response to electromagnetic energy incident on said detection surface at said determined carrier frequency and pulse repetition frequency.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2, wherein said activating source means further comprises: activating switch means having a plurality of control positions, and selectably operable to provide a discrete activating signal in each of said control positions; reticle generator means, responsive to said activating switch means, for providing a visible reticle image having a visually identifiable center in response to activating signals provided by said activating switch means in at least two of said control positions, said reticle generator means being relatively disposed with said transmitter means to provide boresighting of the visible reticle image along the axis of propagation of the transmitted electromagnetic beam, said reticle generator means including a focusing lens for focusing the reticle image at the same visual acuity distance as the transmitted electromagnetic beam, and wherein said transmitter means provides said pulsed electromagnetic beam in response to an activating signal provided by said activating switch means in a common one of the two control positions responded to by said reticle generator means.

Claim 5

The system of claim 3, wherein said activating source means is adapted for disposal on the anatomy of the operator in a fixed relationship to the line of sight of the operator, to provide fixed boresighting and tracking of said visible reticle image to the line of sight of the operator, and to provide manual operation of said activating switch means by the operator while in a stationary position.

Claim 6

The system of claim 3, wherein said activating source means further comprises adapting means, including: mounting means, adapted to be worn on the head of the operator and including a major surface, said recticle generator means and said transmitter means being relatively disposed on said major surface to provide said boresighting of said visible reticle image along the axis of propagation of said electromagnetic beam; image projection means, secured to said mounting means, and having a transparent major surface extending downwardly into the line of sight of the operator; and optical means, disposed on the major surface of said mounting means, for deflecting said visible optical image downwardly onto said transparent major surface and into the line of sight of the operator.

Claim 7

The system of claim 4, wherein said control means provides an arming signal for each of the visually selectable appratus in response to the continuous presence of a signal manifestation from an associated one of said sensor means for a determined time interval in the absence of signal manifestations from any of the other ones of said sensors within said determined time interval, said control means further providing a control actuating signal for a related one of the selectable apparatus in response to a change in activating signals provided by a transfer of said activating switch means from said common control position responded to by said transmitter means and said reticle generator means to another control position during the presence of a corresponding arming signal; and wherein said control means includes actuator means, one for each of the visually activated switch means, and each responsive to corresponding ones of said arming signals and control activating signals, for providing a visual signal identification of the related one of the visually selectable apparatus in response to the presence of a corresponding one of said arming signals, and for providing actuation of the related apparatus in response to a corresponding one of said control actuating signals, the actuation including the energizing and de-energizing of the associated apparatus in dependence on an existing operating state of the apparatus prior to actuation.

Claim 8

The system of claim 4, wherein said control means further comprises: first time delay means, one for each of said sensor means and each responsive to signal manifestations from a corresponding one of said sensor means, for providing a delayed signal manifestation at the end of a first determined time interval in response to the continuous presence of a signal manifestation from a corresponding one of said sensor means during the determined time interval; second time delay means, responsive to the delayed signal manifestations from each of said first delay means, for providing an inhibit signal at the end of a second determined time interval in response to the absence of delayed signal manifestations from each of said first delay means; arming signal means, one for each of said first delay means, each responsive to the delayed signal manifestations from all of said first delay means, and each responsive to the inhibit signal from said second delay means, each of said arming means providing said arming signal for an associated one of the visually selectable apparatus in response to the presence of a delayed signal manifestation from the corresponding one of said first delay means in the absence of concurrent delayed signal manifestations from any other one of said first delay means, said arming means maintaining said arming signal for a time duration coincident with the presence of a delayed signal manifestation from a corresponding one of said delay means in the absence of concurrent delayed signal manifestations from any other one of said delay means, said arming means maintaining said arming signal for a time duration equal to that of the second determined time interval in the absence of delayed signal manifestations from all of said first delay means; actuating signal means, one for each of said arming signal means and each connected for response to said activating switch means and to said arming signal means, said actuating signal means including bistable means operable in either of two signal states in response to the transfer of said activating switch means from said common control position to another control position, which provides a trigger signal, in the presence of an arming signal from a corresponding one of said arming signal means, said control actuating signal having two states corresponding to the two states of said bistable means, said bistable means providing said control actuating signal in each of the two states successively in response to successive trigger signals, said bistable means maintaining said control actuating signal in a corresponding state between successive trigger signals.

Claim 9

The system of claim 7, wherein each of said visually activated switch means further includes manual switch means for providing a manual actuating signal in response to manual activation by the operator; and wherein each of said actuator means is responsive to the manual actuating signals from a corresponding one of said visually activated switch means, said actuator means providing actuation of the associated apparatus in response to said manual actuating signals and in response to said control actuating signals.