Patent ID: 9229139
Filing Date: 2016-01-05
CPC Classification: G02B,G02F,H04N

Claim Text:
1. An enhanced vision system including an optical shutter that is rapidly switchable between optical states to alternately transmit visible radiation and near infrared radiation, comprising: a wavelength selective polarizing filter constructed to impart a polarization state to incident radiation and transmit polarized radiation within at least the visible wavelength region of the electromagnetic spectrum; a liquid crystal polarization modulator positioned to receive incident radiation for internal propagation through the liquid crystal polarization modulator, the liquid crystal polarization modulator optically associated with the wavelength selective polarizing filter and responsive to a first value and a second value of an applied control signal to switch the internally propagating radiation to, respectively, a first polarization state and a second polarization state to produce, in cooperation with the wavelength selective polarizing filter, optical shutter output radiation in different wavelength regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, the switching of the internally propagating radiation to the first polarization state causing transmission and blockage of the optical shutter output radiation within, respectively, the visible wavelength region and the near infrared region, and the switching of the internally propagating radiation to the second polarization state causing transmission and blockage of the optical shutter output radiation within, respectively, the near infrared wavelength region and the visible wavelength region; a computer processing the transmitted optical shutter output radiation within the visible region to produce a first visible image and the transmitted optical shutter output radiation within the infrared region to produce a second visible image; and an image display device receiving signals corresponding to the first and second visible images produced by the computer and combining the first and second visible images to produce a composite image formed of visible and infrared elements.