Enhanced vision systems and methods
An enhanced vision system includes a first optic subsystem and a transparent photodetector subsystem disposed within a common housing. The first optic subsystem may include passive devices such as simple or compound lenses, active devices such as low-light enhancing image intensifiers, or a combination of passive and active devices. The transparent photodetector subsystem receives the visible image exiting the first optic subsystem and converts a portion of the electromagnetic energy in the visible image to a signal communicated to image analysis circuitry. On a real-time or near real-time basis, the image analysis circuitry detects and identifies structures, objects, and/or individuals in the visible image. The image analysis circuitry provides an output that includes information regarding the structure, objects, and individuals to the system user contemporaneous with the system user viewing the visible image.
1 . An enhanced vision system, comprising:
a first optic subsystem configured to transmit a first scene within a field-of-view in at least one non-visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, the at least one non-visible portion being at least one of a near infrared (NIR) portion or a short wave infrared (SWIR) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum; and
a transparent photodetector subsystem configured to transmit the first scene within the field-of-view from the first optic subsystem, the transparent photodetector subsystem comprising:
a transparent substrate, and
a first photosensitive element array on at least a portion of a first surface of the transparent substrate and configured to receive a first portion of the first scene.
2 . The enhanced vision system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a configurable circuit coupled to the transparent photodetector subsystem; and
a storage device configured to cooperate with the configurable circuit to:
receive a first signal representative of the first portion of the first scene from the first photosensitive element array,
determine at least one parameter associated with at least one object appearing within the first scene, and
generate one or more output signals representative of the at least one parameter associated with the at least one object.
3 . The enhanced vision system of claim 2 , wherein the first optic subsystem is aligned along a first optical axis; wherein the transparent photodetector subsystem is aligned along a second optical axis; and further comprising at least one spectral redirector configured to transition at least a portion of electromagnetic energy emitted by the first optic subsystem in a first path parallel to the first optical axis to a second path parallel to the second optical axis.
4 . The enhanced vision system of claim 3 , further comprising:
eyepiece optics aligned along the second optical axis to output a reduced size image of the first scene along the second optical axis.
5 . The enhanced vision system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one spectral redirector comprises at least one of: a plurality of mirrored surfaces and at least one prismatic member.
6 . The enhanced vision system of claim 3 , wherein the first optical axis and the second optical axis are collinear.
7 . The enhanced vision system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a transparent display subsystem coupled to the configurable circuit and configured to:
receive the one or more output signals;
and
contemporaneously display at least a portion of the one or more output signals and the first portion of the first scene aligned with each other.
8 . The enhanced vision system of claim 7 , further comprising:
line-of-sight circuitry to the configurable circuit; and
an external device coupled to the line-of-sight circuitry and configured to provide an output signal that includes data representative of at least a portion of a field-of-view of the external device.
9 . The enhanced vision system of claim 7 , further comprising a wireless network interface configured to receive data from one or more remote resources; wherein the received data includes data associated with the at least one object that appears in the first scene within the field-of-view of the first optic subsystem; and wherein the configurable circuit is configured to generate a display output that includes at least a portion of the received data.
10 . The enhanced vision system of claim 2 , wherein the transparent photodetector subsystem further comprises a second transparent substrate, and a second photosensitive element array on the second transparent substrate, the second photosensitive element array positioned to capture a second scene entering the transparent photodetector subsystem from a direction opposite the first scene.
11 . The enhanced vision system of claim 10 , wherein the second photosensitive element array is adjacent at least a portion of a second surface transversely opposed to the first surface of the transparent substrate; and
wherein the configurable circuit is configured to:
receive a second signal from the second photosensitive element array and indicative of a user eye parameter; and
select at least one command for execution based at least in part on the received second signal.
12 . The enhanced vision system of claim 2 , wherein the transparent display subsystem comprises:
a transparent prismatic member disposed such that: the image of the first scene visible along the second optical axis, and
internally reflect an emitted display output from a surface of the transparent prismatic member and exiting the prismatic member along the second optical axis.
13 . The enhanced vision system of claim 12 , wherein the transparent display subsystem comprises an emissive transparent display device coupled to the configurable circuit and configured to emit a display output so that the image of the first scene visible along the second optical axis is transmitted through at least a portion of the emissive transparent display device.
14 . The enhanced vision system of claim 1 , wherein the first optic subsystem is configured to transform a spectral distribution of the first scene from a first spectral distribution incident upon the first optic subsystem to a second spectral distribution exiting the first optic subsystem, the second spectral distribution being in at least the non-visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
15 . The enhanced vision system of claim 14 , wherein the first optic subsystem comprises an image intensifier.
16 . The enhanced vision system of claim 15 , wherein the transparent photodetector subsystem is on at least a portion of an exterior surface of the image intensifier.
17 . An enhanced vision method, comprising:
receiving, by a first optic subsystem, incident electromagnetic energy that includes a first scene in a field-of-view of the first optic subsystem;
outputting, by the first optic subsystem, non-visible electromagnetic energy including at least a portion of the first scene, the non-visible electromagnetic energy including at least one of a near infrared (NIR) portion or a short wave infrared (SWIR) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum;
receiving, by a first photosensitive element array on a transparent substrate in a transparent photodetector subsystem, at least the non-visible electromagnetic energy from the first optic subsystem;
generating, by the first photosensitive element array, a first signal indicative of at least a portion of the first scene; and
transmitting, by the transparent photodetector subsystem, visible electromagnetic energy from the first optic subsystem that includes at least a portion of the first scene.
18 . The enhanced vision method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving, at a configurable circuit, the first signal generated by the first photosensitive element array;
determining, by the configurable circuit, at least one parameter associated with at least one object appearing in the first scene; and
generating, by the configurable circuit, a first output signal representative of the at least one parameter associated with the object appearing in the first scene.
19 . The enhanced vision method of claim 18 , further comprising
aligning the first optic subsystem with a first optical axis; wherein the outputting of the non-visible electromagnetic energy includes:
outputting, by the first optic subsystem, the non-visible electromagnetic energy along a path parallel to the first optical axis;
redirecting, via a spectral redirector, the non-visible electromagnetic energy from the path parallel to the first optical axis to a path parallel to a second optical axis; and
aligning a center of the transparent photodetector subsystem with the second optical axis,
wherein the transmitting of the visible electromagnetic output from the first optic subsystem includes transmitting at least the visible electromagnetic output from the first optic subsystem along the path parallel to the second optical axis.
20 . The enhanced vision method of claim 19 , wherein the redirecting of the non-visible electromagnetic energy output comprises at least one of: redirecting, via a spectral redirector that includes a plurality of mirrored surfaces; and redirecting, via the spectral redirector that includes at least one prismatic member.