Patent ID: 7896523

Claim:
A target illuminator for night-vision technology comprising: a laser source configured for a radiation power of at least 15 mW, configured to emit radiation having a wavelength λ of from 700 nm to 1400 nm and a beam cross-section, and a second optical system for divergent emission of radiation, which comprises: a first optical system arranged down-circuit of the laser source before the second optical system, configured to increase the beam cross-section before entry into the second optical system to a diameter of at least 5 mm and configured to guide the beam into the second optical system, and a defined variability of an angle of divergence of the emitted radiation, the variability being limited for ensuring a minimum divergence, wherein an irradiation value B dependent on the wavelength λ and on an angular extension α of the beam cross-section on emission of radiation as an apparent source, the irradiation value B being not exceeded with B=18·C 4 ·C 6 ·C 7 ·T 2 −0.25 W/m 2 , to ensure eye safety, measured at the point of greatest danger but at least at a distance of 100 mm from the apparent source, using a circular aperture of 7 mm diameter present in a beam path of the laser radiation emitted in a divergent manner, where C 4 = { 10 0.002 · ( λ - 700 ) for ⁢ ⁢ 700 ≤ λ < 1050 ⁢ 5 for ⁢ ⁢ 1050 ≤ λ ≤ 1400 , ⁢ ⁢ C 7 = { 1 for ⁢ ⁢ 700 ≤ λ < 1150 10 0.018 · ( λ - 1150 ) ⁢ s for ⁢ ⁢ 1150 ≤ λ < 1200 8 for ⁢ ⁢ 1250 ≤ λ ≤ 1400 , ⁢ ⁢ T 2 = { 10 · 10 ( α - 1.5 ) / 98.5 for ⁢ ⁢ 1.5 < α ≤ 100 ⁢ 100 ⁢ ⁢ s for ⁢ ⁢ 100 < α , ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ and ⁢ ⁢ C 6 = { α / 1.5 for ⁢ ⁢ 1.5 < α ≤ 100 66.7 for ⁢ ⁢ 100 < α .