초록 ▼

A tunable wavelength agile opto-electronic device for detecting and determining an angle of arrival of a collimated beam of radiation comprising a linearly variable optical filter superimposed over an elongated detector having at least one radiation detector element in each quadrant of the detector.

A tunable wavelength agile opto-electronic device for detecting and determining an angle of arrival of a collimated beam of radiation comprising a linearly variable optical filter superimposed over an elongated detector having at least one radiation detector element in each quadrant of the detector. Radiation that transverses that filter projects an image of a first portion of the filter onto two adjacent detector elements in separate quadrants at a first end of the elongated detector and an equal size image of a second portion of the filter onto two adjacent detector elements in separate quadrants at a second end of the elongated detector. A signal generated by radiation that transverses the filter onto a detector element in a quadrant at the second end is subtracted from a signal generated by radiation that transverses the filter onto an aligned detector element at the first end of the elongated detector to provide two difference signals, one for each side of the elongated detector. That subtraction reduces noise generated by background radiation to enable easier detection of a collimated beam and processing electronics use the two difference signals to determine the angle of arrival of such a collimated beam. In one embodiment, a liquid crystal bar graph is located between the filter and the detector which, under control of a control unit, forms two transparent narrow apertures at selected positions so that an image of one aperture forms on quadrant detectors at the first end and the second aperture on quadrant detector at the second end.

대표청구항 ▼

[ The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:] [1.] An opto-electronic device for detecting a collimated beam of radiation comprising a linearly variable optical filter superimposed over but spaced from, an elongated detector having

[ The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:] [1.] An opto-electronic device for detecting a collimated beam of radiation comprising a linearly variable optical filter superimposed over but spaced from, an elongated detector having a plurality of radiation detector elements with at least one detector element extending perpendicular to the length of the elongated detector being located in each quadrant of the elongated detector, which elements have a width W' in a direction perpendicular to the length of the elongated detector, wherein radiation that transverses said filter projects an image of at least a first portion of the filter onto at least two adjacent detector elements, each of which are located in separate ones of two quadrants at one end of the elongated detector, and also projects an image of at least a second portion of the filter onto at least two adjacent detector elements, each of which are located in separate ones of two quadrants at another end of the detector, the width W of those images at a location where they are projected onto the elongated detector being .ltoreq. the width W' of each detector element; the first and second portions having substantially the same dimensions with the device having means for subtracting a signal generated by radiation that transverses said filter onto at least one detector in a quadrant at said another end from a signal generated by radiation that transverses said filter onto at least one detector in an aligned quadrant at said one end to provide two difference signals at outputs which are connected to processing electronics, the means for subtracting reducing noise generated by background radiation to enable easier detection of a narrow optical band collimated beam of radiation, the processing electronics having means to determine the direction of arrival in one plane of such a collimated beam of radiation from the difference signals.