Frederick R Vachss

US Patent:

7388709, Jun 17, 2008

Filed:

Oct 10, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/870276

Inventors:

Frederick R. Vachss - Thousand Oaks CA, US
Mark D. Ewbank - Newbury Park CA, US

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Irvine CA

International Classification:

G02F 1/35
H01S 3/10

US Classification:

359326, 359328, 372 21, 372 22, 372 70, 372 75

Abstract:

A multiple path light source has a first and second laser source that generate low power continuous wave laser beam at wavelength λ1 and λ2 respectively. A pump laser source generates a high power pulsed narrow linewidth laser beam at wavelength λ0. A first pair of DFGs convert the low power continuous laser beams at λ1 and λ2 to high peak power pulsed laser beams at wavelengths λ1 and λ2, and generate pulsed laser beams at wavelength λ1=λ1*λ0/(λ1−λ0) and λ2=λ2*λ0/(λ2−λ0). A second pair of DFGs receives the high peak power pulsed laser beams at λ1 and λ2 and the pulsed laser beams at λ1and λ2and generates laser beams at wavelength λ3=λ1*λ2/(λ2−λ1) and λ3=λ1*λ2/(λ2−λ1). A beam splitter combines the high power pulsed laser beam at wavelength λ3 with the high power pulsed laser beam at wavelength λ3to form a single laser light.

US Patent:

7570349, Aug 4, 2009

Filed:

May 15, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/748748

Inventors:

Frederick R. Vachss - Thousand Oaks CA, US
Robert A. Smith - Hampton Cove AL, US

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G01N 21/00

US Classification:

356 73, 356301

Abstract:

A target gas sensing system includes a single source at a first location for generating two light beams having first and second frequencies wherein the difference between the first and second frequencies is the Raman frequency of the target gas. A difference frequency generator outputs the two light beams having the first frequency, the second frequency, and a third light beam having a third frequency that is the difference between the first and second frequencies. The first, second, and third light beams are directed toward the target gas. An input optic directs light from the third light beam, after interacting with the target gas, to a receiver for absorption spectroscopy processing, directs a fourth light beam from the target gas to a receiver for coherent anti-Stokes Raman processing, wherein the fourth light beam has a frequency of twice the first frequency minus the second frequency.

US Patent:

7599408, Oct 6, 2009

Filed:

Jun 4, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/757938

Inventors:

Frederick R. Vachss - Thousand Oaks CA, US

Assignee:

The Boeing Company - Chicago IL

International Classification:

H01S 3/10
H01S 3/14

US Classification:

372 20, 372 21, 372 22, 372 25, 372 68

Abstract:

A tunable laser source has a first laser source to generate a low power continuous wave laser light having a wavelength λ. A second laser source generates a low power continuous wave laser light having a wavelength λ. A pump laser source generates a high power pulsed laser light having a wavelength λ. A first optical parametric amplifier (OPA) receives the laser light having a wavelength λ and the laser light having a wavelength λ and generates a high power pulsed laser light having a wavelength λ. A second optical parametric amplifier (OPA) receives the laser light having a wavelength λ and the laser light having a wavelength λ to and generates a high power pulsed laser light having a wavelength λ. A difference frequency generator (DFG), receives the high power pulsed laser light having a wavelength λ and the high power pulsed laser light having a wavelength λ and provides a high power pulsed laser light having a wavelength λ wherein λ/(λ).

US Patent:

51914484, Mar 2, 1993

Filed:

Oct 23, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/780595

Inventors:

Frederick R. Vachss - Thousand Oaks CA
John H. Hong - Moorpark CA

Assignee:

Rockwell International Corporation - Seal Beach CA

International Classification:

G03H 102
G02F 100
G02B 2600

US Classification:

359 7

Abstract:

A photorefractive device is provided for converting an image-bearing incoherent input beam to a high contrast coherent output beam the intensity of which varies as the square of the input intensity pattern. The device uses an incoherent image beam to write a holographic grating directly in a photorefractive medium. In one embodiment, a parallel, laterally displaced, telecentric system of lenses is used to split a quasi-monochromatic, incoherent image-bearing beam into two equal components. The two components are superimposed at the surface of the photorefractive medium to produce the hologram. In a second embodiment, the incoherent input beam is directed through a physically translating external grating to write the hologram in the photorefractive medium. The moving grating improves the diffraction efficiency of the hologram under the influence of an applied electric field and stabilizes the temporal response characteristics for signal processing. In both embodiments, the photorefractive medium is exposed to a coherent beam that picks up the image from the hologram and produces a coherent output beam having a high contrast replica of the input image.

US Patent:

53130723, May 17, 1994

Filed:

Feb 16, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/018689

Inventors:

Frederick Vachss - Thousand Oaks CA

Assignee:

Rockwell International Corporation - Seal Beach CA

International Classification:

G01N 1506

US Classification:

250573

Abstract:

An optical device is provided for detecting the degree of obscuring moisture or precipitation on the windshield of an automotive vehicle. A source of light, such as a light emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode, is positioned to illuminate the windshield. An optical imager and detector array senses light emitted by the source, either transmitted or reflected by the windshield, and imaged on the array. The light source and detector may be positioned in convenient, out-of-the-way locations inside or outside the windshield. When the windshield is free of obscuring precipitation, light from the source is imaged on a sensor of the array aligned with the optical axis of the imager. When obscuring moisture or precipitation is present on the windshield, light is scattered such that significant portions are imaged on sensors off the optical axis of the imager. The amount and spatial distribution of light received off the optical axis provides an indication of the degree of obscuration caused by light scattering moisture or precipitation present on the windshield. The detector is connected to the windshield wiper system of the vehicle to control activation of the wiper based on the optical detection of obscuring moisture or precipitation on the windshield.

US Patent:

55596401, Sep 24, 1996

Filed:

Mar 29, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/412644

Inventors:

Frederick R. Vachss - Thousand Oaks CA
William H. Southwell - Thousand Oaks CA
Joseph Malus - Bloomfield Hills MI
Mohsen Khoshnevisan - Newbury Park CA

Assignee:

Rockwell International Corporation - Seal Beach CA

International Classification:

G02B 508
G02B 510
B60R 102

US Classification:

359838

Abstract:

An automotive rear view mirror system comprises passive optical elements (which may include lenses, but must include one or an odd number of mirrors) configured to provide a wide field of view with a negative optical element having a small width dimension mounted externally and close to the body of the vehicle. In a basic embodiment, a small negative optical element, such as a convex mirror, is mounted outside the vehicle, and a larger positive optical element, such as a convex lens, is placed inside the vehicle. The optical elements are positioned to be substantially confocal, with the distance between them equal to the difference in their focal lengths, so as to cancel the curvature of field generated by the external element. The internal element magnifies the image to a size comparable to that obtained with a standard external flat mirror. Alternative embodiments that are optically equivalent may incorporate a more compact "folding" of the optical path by using at least one additional mirror placed between the external and internal optical elements, thus allowing the elements to be configured more compactly and placed out of the driver's way in the passenger compartment.