IMAGING OPTICAL TRACKER

Abstract

Apparatus and a corresponding method for its use, for detecting and tracking targets in an optical field of view. The apparatus includes conventional telescopic optics to gather light from the field of view, beam splitters to divide the resultant beam into three sub-beams, three linear arrays of detectors, and three cylindrical lens systems to focus the three beams onto the detector arrays. Two of the arrays provide azimuth-angle and elevation-angle information concerning possible target positions, and the third is oriented at an angle to the first two, to provide information to resolve any ambiguities as to the target locations. The linear arrays can be scanned much more rapidly than a rectangular array, and higher resolutions can therefore be obtained without any sacrifice in processing speed.

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Inventor

• 1JEROLD L. JACOBY

Sensitive facility: Redondo Beach CA (TRW)

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