Paul Albert Sears

US Patent:

55810780, Dec 3, 1996

Filed:

May 24, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/462999

Inventors:

Paul A. Sears - Yuma AZ

Assignee:

United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

H01J 4014

US Classification:

250214RC

Abstract:

A ballistic optical camera trigger having an integrated circuit capable of onverting light to a proportional frequency, wherein the integrated circuit has a fast response time and a wide dynamic range which allows it to sense positive or negative changes in light fast enough to trigger without delay for high speed imaging without computational delays or jitter causing interference. The frequency output of the integrated circuit is tracked by a phase lock loop/voltage controlled oscillator to allow it to follow slow changes in light, but not fast changes in light caused by, for example, a projectile such as a bullet. The frequency output from the integrated circuit is provided to one input of a logic gate which receives at another input thereof, a shaped pulse from the phase lock loop/voltage controlled oscillator circuit, wherein the output of the logic gate is applied to a one-shot for outputting a trigger signal.