Patent ID: 6366403
Filing Date: 2002-04-02
Classification: F27D,G02B,H04N

Abstract:
An image enhancement system for providing image contrast in an image of target and its surroundings in a high temperature environment, said system comprising:a light source for producing a light beam; circular polarizing means for circularly polarizing said light beam to produce a circularly polarized light beam directed along an optical path toward said target so as to be reflected by the target and its surroundings; a first linear polarizer disposed in said optical path between said circular polarizing means and the target through which said circularly polarized light beam passes in a first direction which traveling to the target and through which the circularly polarized light beam passes in a second, opposite direction, along with thermal radiation from the target and its surroundings, after being reflected and reversed in polarization by the target and its surroundings; and a second linear polarizer disposed in said optical path downstream of said circular polarizing means and providing polarization of light received thereby which is orthogonal to the polarization provided by said first polarizer, said circular polarizing means converting the reflected and polarization reversed, circularly polarized light received from said first polarizer into light of the same polarization as that provided by the second polarizer so that the second polarizer passes the light received from said circular polarizing means while blocking said thermal radiation so as to provide a high contrast image of the target.