Color night vision camera system

Claim 1

A color night vision camera system comprising: a first lens which outputs an image along a lens light path; a first mirror means which receives the lens image and which outputs first and second and third mirror images along respective first and second and third mirror paths; a first red filter and a second green filter and a third blue filter which respectively receive the first and second and third mirror images and which respectively output first and second and third filtered images along first and second and third paths; intensifier means which receives the first and second and third filtered images and which outputs first and second and third intensified images; camera means which receives the first and second and third intensified images and which outputs respective first and second and third camera signals corresponding thereto; monitor means which receives the first and second and third camera signals and displays a color night vision image; wherein the first and second and third filters respectively have first and second and third polarizers and first and second and third LC shutters which act as optical switches that allow light to pass therethrough one at a time to the first and second and third paths therefrom; second mirror means which receives the respective first and second and third shuttered and filtered images and which outputs one continuous image sequence therefrom; a second lens which receives the image sequence from the mirror means; and wherein the intensifier means is a single intensifier unit which receives the image sequence from the second lens; and wherein the camera means is a single camera unit which receives the image sequence from the single intensifier unit, said single camera unit having a first red conductor and a second green conductor and a third blue conductor which output respective camera signals therefrom; a frame buffer memory having a first red buffer portion and a second green buffer portion and a third blue buffer portion which respectively receive the signals from the first and second and third camera conductors and which respectively have first and second and third memory conductors that output respective memory signals to the monitor means; and a control electronics unit having a first control conductor connected to the camera unit and having a second control conductor connected to the frame buffer memory and having a third control conductor connected separately to each of the shutter units.