Roy Willard Esplin

US Patent:

48096113, Mar 7, 1989

Filed:

May 4, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/045964

Inventors:

Roy W. Esplin - Mesa AZ

Assignee:

Motorola, Inc. - Schaumburg IL

International Classification:

F42C 1302

US Classification:

102213

Abstract:

A passive, infrared, conical beam target sensor having multiple beams which may exhibit a wide variety of half conic angles is disclosed. The sensor may be utilized with a missile by positioning a plurality of optical assemblies adjacent to the skin of the missile and near a corresponding plurality of small windows in the skin of the missile. Each optical assembly includes a detector for each conical beam and a wide-angle lens oriented so that a lens axis parallels the axis of the missile. A preferred lens has a flat entrance aperture surface opposing a spherical surface. Unnecessary material is removed from the lens so that the lens axis may reside as close to the missile skin as possible. Each detector includes a plurality of photoelectric elements arranged to populate at least a portion of an annulus.